Cyclosporine and oral antihistamine therapy showed inconsistent effects on clinical and laboratory markers of atopic dermatitis in older children and adults, based on data from a study of 48 patients.
A total of 25 patients aged 16-42 years received oral cyclosporine and 23 patients aged 15-32 years received oral antihistamine therapy. The patients’ laboratory findings were reviewed, including high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) and thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC).
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Overall, TARC levels were significantly lower after oral cyclosporine therapy, compared with before therapy. Basophil counts in peripheral blood, however, were significantly higher after the therapy than before. After antihistamine therapy, serum high-sensitivity CRP levels and basophil counts in peripheral blood were significantly decreased, compared with before therapy.
“A combination of these two therapies may be more effective for the treatment of AD in adults,” noted study author Dr. Tsutomu Ohtsuka of International University of Health and Welfare Hospital in Nasushiobara, Japan.
The study was published in the June issue of the International Journal of Dermatology (Int. J. Dermatol. 2015;54:648-55 [doi:10.1111/ijd.12374]).
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