Serum Fractalkine (CX3CL1) Concentration Correlates with Clinical Severity in Pediatric Atopic Dermatitis Patients.

BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common inflammatory allergic disease presenting pruritic skin lesions mainly in early childhood. Elevated fractalkine (FKN) expression is detected in AD patients.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the levels of FKN in serum and their association with disease severity in pediatric AD patients.

METHODS: Serum samples were obtained from 57 AD children and 53 healthy children. Disease severity was assessed according to the following scoring systems: Leicester sign score (LSS), simple scoring system of costa (SSS), SCORing atopic dermatitis (SCORAD) index, and objective SCORAD. Serum FKN levels were measured using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Serum levels of immunoglobulin (Ig) E and interleukin (IL)-31 and the association of serum FKN levels with the scoring systems as well as IgE and IL-31 levels were evaluated. The FKN levels were re-assessed after symptomatic relief.

RESULTS: Serum FKN levels in AD children during both flare and quiescence episodes were significantly higher than in the healthy individuals. Additionally, these correlated positively with all disease severity related scoring systems and serum IgE and IL-31 levels.

CONCLUSIONS: FKN may serve as a reliable biomarker for evaluating disease severity in AD patients. Therapeutic interventions for AD, targeting FKN, deserve further study.