International Journal of Molecular Sciences (Apr 2024)

Paediatric Atopic Dermatitis: The Unexpected Impact on Life with a Specific Look at the Molecular Level

  • Silvia Artusa,
  • Giorgia Mazzuca,
  • Giorgio Piacentini,
  • Riccardo Castagnoli,
  • Gian Luigi Marseglia,
  • Angelo Pietrobelli,
  • Luca Pecoraro

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25094778
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 25, no. 9
p. 4778

Abstract

Read online

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a condition with a multifactorial aetiology that affects the skin. It most often begins at preschool age and involves the skin. The disease’s main symptom is intense itching, which occurs especially at night and affects the child’s sleep, negatively impacting the quality of life of affected children and, consequently, their families. The difficulty in resting during the night leads to many problems during the day, particularly behavioural disorders and difficulties in paying attention at school, which results in learning impairment. The unexpected symptoms of AD are caused by pathophysiological processes that include many molecular pathways and inflammatory cytokines such as IL-31, IL-1, IL-2, TNF-a, and IL-6. Drawing on a comprehensive review of the literature in PubMed/MedLine, our review offers an in-depth exploration of both the psychosocial impacts of AD and the molecular processes that contribute to this disorder.

Keywords