Interferon therapy for atopic dermatitis reduces basophil histamine release, but does not reduce serum IgE or eosinophilic proteins.

Nine adult patients suffering from severe atopic dermatitis (AD) and increased total serum IgE were treated with recombinant human interferon-alpha 2A (Roferon-AR; IFN-α-2A) 3 × 106 units daily for 21 d to study the effect upon serum IgE, basophil histamine release (HR), eosinophil-derived proteins in serum, and clinical symptoms. The skin disease was so severe that all patients needed topical treatment with glucocorticosteroid cream. Changes were not observed in total serum IgE or in eosinophil-derived proteins, the latter being increased in six of nine patients. A significant reduction in basophil HR was found in six of nine patients after anti-IgE and concanavalin A (Con A) stimulation, but not after A23187 stimulation. The clinical skin score was reduced in eight of nine patients at the end of therapy, but disease activity returned to pretreatment levels within 3 weeks despite continued topical treatment. rIFN-α-2A was well tolerated with few clinical side-effects, and all patients completed the study. The short-term therapy using IFN-α-2A neither brought a sustained clinical remission nor reduced total serum IgE or eosinophil-derived proteins. However, a significant reduction in IgE-receptor-mediated basophil HR was observed in six of nine patients.