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Salivary OMICS factors associated with atopic dermatitis in early infancy

Nora Alomeir1, Ellen Chinchilli2, Chloe Terio3

  • 1Eastman Institute for Oral Health, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA.

Pediatric Allergy and Immunology : Official Publication of the European Society of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
|August 24, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Early detection of atopic dermatitis (AD) in infants is possible using noninvasive salivary biomarkers. Hormonal and cytokine levels, along with oral microbiome profiles, can indicate infants at risk for developing AD.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
  • Microbiome Research
  • Biomarker Discovery

Background:

  • Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common childhood condition with limited early noninvasive detection methods.
  • Identifying infants at risk for AD is crucial for timely intervention and management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between salivary biomarkers (hormones, cytokines) and oral microbiota with AD onset in infants.
  • To determine if these oral biomarkers can serve as early indicators for AD risk.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective cohort study of 119 infants from birth to 24 months.
  • Saliva samples analyzed for hormones, cytokines (multiplex immunoassays), and microbiome (metagenomic sequencing).
  • AD diagnoses confirmed via electronic health records.

Main Results:

  • Nearly half of infants developed AD by age 2; peak incidence between 2-4 months.
  • Infants with AD showed altered salivary estradiol, progesterone, cortisol, sIL-1ra, IL-9, and IL-1α levels at specific early time points.
  • Significant differences in salivary microbiome diversity and reduced abundance of specific bacteria (Bifidobacterium breve, Veillonella atypica) were observed in infants who developed AD.

Conclusions:

  • Early-life salivary hormonal, cytokine, and microbiome signatures show potential as noninvasive indicators for identifying infants at risk of early AD onset.
  • These findings support the development of novel diagnostic tools for predicting AD in infancy.
Abstract

Keywords:
atopic dermatitishormoneimmune markersinfancyoral microbiome

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