Missing Link in Skin Bacteria That Causes Eczema Finally Identified in a Breakthrough Study

Atopic dermatitis, or also known as eczema, is a skin condition that makes the skin red and itchy. It is most common in children, although it can also occur at any age. There is no cure yet for eczema, although treatments can relieve the redness and itchiness and prevent new outbreaks.

This debilitating skin disease affects 20% to 30% of children, but researchers from the University of Manchester hope that their decade-long study could lead to new eczema treatment.

The result of their study has identified the protein produced by a common bacteria in the skin that triggers eczema. According to the study's principal investigators Dr. Peter Arkwright and Dr. Joanne Pennock, Staphylococcus aureus produces the second immunoglobulin-binding protein or "Sbi" that triggers eczema.

Sbi Triggers Eczema

The study, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and funded by the Leo Foundation, showed that the bacteria are unique in producing Sbi, discovered in 1998, that turns on the allergic reaction for eczema.

Medical Xpress reported that the study is the first to identify Sbi as the protein that induces the rapid release of Interleukin-22, a critical component in the immune response in childhood eczema.

Dr. Arkwright, a consultant in Pediatric Allergy & Immunology at Royal Manchester Children's Hospital and a member of Manchester NHS Foundation Trust, said that the study shows beyond any doubt that it is Sbi that triggers eczema.

It has been common knowledge that Staphylococcus aureus is the most common pathogen found on the human skin and can cause the most common skin and soft tissue infections worldwide. It is only now that scientists have discovered its role in triggering eczema's onset because of its virulence factor Sbi.

"There have been many dead ends and false information, but after many years we finally found the missing link. We are very grateful to Professors Hiroshi Matsuda and Akane Tanaka for their collaboration, which has contributed valuable results to this project," the researchers said.

Results Can Be Used To Discover Treatments for Eczema

The study involved using mouse eczema model studies led by the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, as well as Manchester's benchwork on cells and human skin.

Moreover, they also studied six other species of staphylococci and also the Group A streptococcus, which is responsible for tonsilitis and scarlet fever. In each of the studies, the results came back the same, pointing at Sbi as the trigger.

Now that the researchers discovered that only the golden Staph produces Sbi capable of causing the allergic reaction called eczema, it is now time to lay the groundwork for future researches in the non-steroid treatment of this debilitating skin disease, said Dr. Pennock from The University of Manchester.

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