Beyond the Skin: Reduced Lung Function Associated With Atopic Dermatitis in Infants

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Pulmonology
• Dermatology
• Allergy Immunology

Background:

• Atopic dermatitis (AD) is linked to a higher risk of developing asthma.
• Lung function assessment in infants with AD is underexplored.
• Tidal breath analysis (TBA) offers a potential method for evaluating lung function in this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To measure lung function using TBA in infants with AD and healthy controls (HCs).
• To investigate the impact of AD severity, food sensitivity, and recurrent wheezing on TBA parameters.
• To assess TBA's utility in detecting airway obstruction in infants with AD.

Main Methods:

• A prospective cross-sectional study involving 230 infants (150 with AD, 80 HCs).
• Lung function assessed via TBA.
• Disease severity evaluated using SCORing Atopic Dermatitis; food sensitivity determined by IgE or skin prick tests.

Main Results:

• Infants with AD exhibited significantly lower TBA parameters compared to HCs (P < .05).
• Key parameters like expiratory flow and respiratory rate were reduced in the AD group.
• The ratio of time to peak expiratory flow to expiratory time effectively differentiated AD with high sensitivity and specificity (AUC=0.826).

Conclusions:

• TBA is a valuable tool for identifying expiratory airway obstruction in infants with AD.
• Objective lung function data can be obtained using TBA for clinical use.
• Bronchial obstruction in infants with AD is present regardless of disease severity or associated factors.