Dagmar Simon

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of atopic dermatitis (AD) is made using evaluated clinical criteria. Management of AD must consider the symptomatic variability of the disease.

METHODS: EADV eczema task force developed its guideline for atopic dermatitis diagnosis and treatment based on literature review and repeated consenting group discussions.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Basic therapy relies on hydrating topical treatment and avoidance of specific and unspecific provocation factors. ...

BACKGROUND: Contact allergy is a common condition and can severely interfere with daily life or professional activities. Due to changes in exposures, such as introduction of new substances, new products or formulations and regulatory intervention, the spectrum of contact sensitization changes.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the current spectrum of contact allergy to allergens present in the European baseline series (EBS) across Europe.

METHODS: Retrospective analysis of data collected by the ...

BACKGROUND: Continual surveillance based on patch test results has proved useful for the identification of contact allergy.

OBJECTIVES: To provide a current view on the spectrum of contact allergy to important sensitizers across Europe.

PATIENTS/METHODS: Clinical and patch test data of 19 793 patients patch tested in 2005/2006 in the 31 participating departments from 10 European countries (the European Surveillance System on Contact Allergies' (ESSCA) www.essca-dc.org) were descriptively ...

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a clinically defined, highly pruritic, chronic inflammatory skin disease of children and adults. The diagnosis is made using evaluated clinical criteria. Disease activity is best measured with a composite score assessing both objective signs and subjective symptoms, such as SCORAD. The management of AD must consider the clinical and pathogenic variabilities of the disease and also target flare prevention. Basic therapy includes hydrating topical treatment, as ...

BACKGROUND: Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) that is released by epithelial cells upon certain environmental triggers activates cells of the innate and adaptive immune system resulting in a preferential T helper 2 immune response. By releasing eosinophil extracellular traps (EETs), eosinophils achieve an efficient extracellular bacterial killing. Eosinophil extracellular traps release, however, has been observed in both infectious and noninfectious eosinophilic diseases. Here, we aim ...

BACKGROUND: Analyses of the European Surveillance System on Contact Allergies (ESSCA) database have focused primarily on the prevalence of contact allergies to the European baseline series, both overall and in subgroups of patients. However, affected body sites have hitherto not been addressed.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of contact allergies for distinct body sites in patients with allergic contact dermatitis (ACD).

METHODS: Analysis of data collected by the ESSCA ...

The existing evidence for treatment of atopic eczema (atopic dermatitis, AE) is evaluated using the national standard Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation. The consensus process consisted of a nominal group process and a DELPHI procedure. Management of AE must consider the individual symptomatic variability of the disease. Basic therapy is focused on hydrating topical treatment, and avoidance of specific and unspecific provocation factors. Anti-inflammatory treatment based on ...

A subgroup of patients with atopic dermatitis are known to have normal serum total immunoglobulin E levels, undetectable specific immunoglobulin E, and negative skin prick tests towards allergens. This form of the disease has been termed nonallergic atopic dermatitis. In this study, we found that, among 1151 chronic atopic dermatitis patients, about 10% had normal serum immunoglobulin E levels with no evidence for immunoglobulin E sensitization. We investigated immunologic mechanisms of ...

BACKGROUND: In several clinical studies, topical calcineurin inhibitors have been shown to be effective in the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD). They target signaling pathways that control gene expression, particularly the expression of cytokines.

OBJECTIVE: We examined the cellular infiltrate in skin lesions of 10 patients with AD and characterized the cytokine pattern expressed by the infiltrating cells before and after short-term topical therapy with tacrolimus 1% ...

BACKGROUND: In the skin, eosinophils are found in a broad spectrum of diseases, including infectious diseases.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we investigated whether eosinophil extracellular traps, structures containing DNA in association with eosinophil granule proteins able to bind and kill bacteria, are present in the skin under various pathologic conditions.

METHODS: Immunofluorescence staining was performed on sections of paraformaldehyde-fixed and paraffin-embedded skin biopsy tissues ...

This guideline was developed as a joint interdisciplinary European project, including physicians from all relevant disciplines as well as patients. It is a consensus-based guideline, taking available evidence from other guidelines, systematic reviews and published studies into account. This second part of the guideline covers antimicrobial therapy, systemic treatment, allergen-specific immunotherapy, complementary medicine, psychosomatic counselling and educational interventions, whereas ...

BACKGROUND: Hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) is a heterogeneous group of rare disorders defined by persistent blood eosinophilia > or =1.5 x 10(9)/L, absence of a secondary cause, and evidence of eosinophil-associated pathology. With the exception of a recent multicenter trial of mepolizumab (anti-IL-5 mAb), published therapeutic experience has been restricted to case reports and small case series.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to collect and summarize baseline demographic, ...

BACKGROUND: Atopic eczema (AE) is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder characterized by eczematous skin lesions, pruritus, and typical histopathologic features.

OBJECTIVE: We asked whether depletion of B cells by monoclonal anti-CD20 antibody therapy (rituximab) would improve severe AE.

METHODS: Six patients (4 women and 2 men) with severe AE received 2 intravenous applications of rituximab, each 1000 mg, 2 weeks apart. To evaluate the efficacy of rituximab, we monitored clinical ...

The existing evidence for treatment of atopic eczema (atopic dermatitis, AE) is evaluated using the national standard Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation. The consensus process consisted of a nominal group process and a DELPHI procedure. Management of AE must consider the individual symptomatic variability of the disease. Basic therapy is focused on hydrating topical treatment, and avoidance of specific and unspecific provocation factors. Anti-inflammatory treatment based on ...

BACKGROUND: Contact allergy to rubber additives is common, particularly in patients with occupational dermatitis.

OBJECTIVES: To descriptively analyse and compare patch test reactions in patients patch tested both with the baseline series and with an additional 'rubber series' as used in the department.

METHODS: Patch test data from those members of the European Surveillance System on Contact Allergies (ESSCA) network (www.essca-dc.org) who also contributed data on rubber series patch ...