Interferon-α therapy in atopic dermatitis

Abstract

Thirteen patients with a severe adult form of atopic dermatitis (AD) received 3.0x106 IU of recombinant interferon-α2a (rIFN-α2a) 3 times a week. A satisfactory response was obtained in 5 of them. Serum IgE levels in all 13 patients remained unchanged throughout the study. Flu-like symptoms were common, but clinical or laboratory adverse effects were otherwise slight. The moderately beneficial therapeutic effects observed in this study support a possible role for IFN-α in controlling immunologic deficiencies in atopic dermatitis.