Z Pour Pak; AR Firooz; L Sedighi Pour; A Afrooz; Gh.A Afrooz; B Ghobari; A Kazem Nejad
Volume 9, Issue 3 , 2006, , Pages 233-241
Abstract
Background and aim: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic disorder that is most common in early childhood. Both immunological and psychological factors are important in AD pathogenesis and should therefore be taken into account. The aim of this study was to compare behavioral characteristics of 30 infants ...
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Background and aim: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic disorder that is most common in early childhood. Both immunological and psychological factors are important in AD pathogenesis and should therefore be taken into account. The aim of this study was to compare behavioral characteristics of 30 infants (3-12 month-old) with AD with 40 controls.Materials and Methods: The infants with the definite diagnosis of atopic dermatitis referring to Children Medical Center and Center for Research & Training in Skin Diseases & Leprosy were included in the study. The severity of atopic dermatitis was determined by SCORAD criteria. For assessing behavioral characteristics Infant Behavior Questionnarie (IBQ) for measuring 11 scales of behavioral characteristics was used. Questionnaires were filled by the researchers with the cooperation of the patents or the child care givers.Results: The AD group showed significantly higher scores in perceptual sensitivity, soothability and high pleasure, but not other characteristics.Conclusion: Infants with AD tend to have higher perceptual sensitivity to the environment around them and show more pleasure and excitement when subjected to an intense, rapid, novel or incogruit stimuli compared with non atopic infants.
A Kouhkan; Z Pour Pak; R Safar Ali Zadeh; Sh Teimourian; AR Firooz
Volume 9, Issue 2 , 2006, , Pages 143-149
Abstract
Background and aim: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, inflammatory, pruritic skin disease usually observed in patients with other allergies. Decreased selenium levels and improvement with selenium supplement are reported in AD. The aim of this study was to compare serum and whole blood selenium in ...
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Background and aim: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, inflammatory, pruritic skin disease usually observed in patients with other allergies. Decreased selenium levels and improvement with selenium supplement are reported in AD. The aim of this study was to compare serum and whole blood selenium in children with AD and control group.Materials and Methods: In an age-sex matched case-control study, 46 children with AD (according to Rajka & Hanifin criteria) and 46 controls were evaluated. The severity of AD was determined based on SCORAD index. Serum and whole blood selenium levels were measured and compared between two groups by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Chi-square and t tests were used for data analysis and P<0.05 was considered as significant.Results: Forty-six patients with age of 2.57±2.6 years and 46 controls with age of 2.63±2.6 years, each consisting of 24 boys and 22 girls were included (P>0.05). Mean serum selenium in patients (72.58±16.5 ng/ml) was significantly lower than controls (84.8±15.6 ng/ml) (P=0.0001). Mean whole blood selenium in patients (88.07±19.0 ng/ml) was significantly lower than controls (99.38±19.3 ng/ml)(P<0.001). Low serum selenium levels (less than 63 ng/ml) were observed in 28.3% of patients and 10.9% of controls (P<0.05). Low whole blood selenium levels (defined as less than 75.5 ng/ml) were observed in 30.4% of patients and 15.2% of controls (P>0.05). No significant correlations were observed between serum and whole blood selenium and severity of AD.Conclusion: The results confirm other studies that showed low selenium levels in AD. Our findings suggest that low selenium level may be involved in the pathophysiology of AD in childhood, and indicate nutritional status especially selenium levels might be a potentially useful strategy for the recognition and treatment of these patients.