Sensitivity to superantigens of Staphylococcus aureus is important even in mild and moderate atopic dermatitis

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Ong et al showed that superantigen-specific IgE molecules were prevalent in young children with mild or moderate atopic dermatitis, and were associated with increased total serum IgE. These molecules, particularly staphylococcal enterotoxins (SE) A- and SE D- specific IgE, may contribute to the severity of skin manifestations in these patients.

Consideration of the ways in which the microbial environment affects the direction and regulatory set-points of innate and adaptive immune responses in general, and contributes to disease states specifically, is becoming more and more interesting. Harnessing knowledge into therapeutic maneuvers (eg, use of probiotics, pathogen-directed antimicrobial therapies) is still at the stage of hypothesis development.