Increased serum nitrate levels in infants with atopic dermatitis

Background: The pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD) is still unknown. A recent study has shown that inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) is expressed in the atopic skin lesion, suggesting the involvement of nitric oxide in the skin inflammation of AD. The purpose of the study was to examine serum nitrate (NO3) levels in relation to the disease severity in children with AD. Methods: Serum nitrate levels were assessed in relation to the skin scores in 88 patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) (aged 0.4-8 years: mean +/- SD, 2.2 +/- 1.9, 41 boys and 47 girls) and 12 nonatopic children (aged 0.8-4 years: mean+/-SD, 1.8+/-0.9, seven boys and five girls). Results: Serum nitrate levels of patients with AD were significantly increased as compared to nonatopic controls and were also correlated with the disease severity. The skin scores were significantly correlated with serum nitrate levels as well as peripheral eosinophil counts. Conclusions: Our results indicate that nitric oxide may be involved in the pathogenesis of vasodilation and erythema in AD skin.