Research Trends on Atopic Dermatitis an Autoimmune Disease and Exercise

Abstract

PURPOSE Autoimmune diseases attack the organs and tissues of the body because of abnormalities in the immune system, causing health issues such as inflammation and atopic dermatitis. Atopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with a multifactorial pathogenesis that presents with an itchy, dry dermis. Atopic dermatitis can be alleviated or worsened by environmental factors, and studies have reported that exercise has various effects on atopic dermatitis. METHODS This review collected and analyzed data on the effects of exercise and atopic dermatitis from previous studies obtained through online databases and search engines, including PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. RESULTS Moderate exercise has a positive effect on the health of patients with atopic dermatitis. During moderate- and high-intensity exercise, the thickness of the dermis and epidermis of atopic skin, serum immunoglobulin (Ig)E levels, and cytokine levels decreased. However, conflicting results showed that high-intensity swimming exercises increased the severity of atopic dermatitis. Additionally, patients with atopic dermatitis and lower physical activity levels showed increased disease severity. CONCLUSION These results indicate that several exercises have therapeutic potential against atopic diseases. Further studies are required to investigate the effects of exercise on atopic dermatitis, including the limitations.

Keywords

• autoimmune disease
• atopic dermatitis
• exercise