Stratum corneum lipid and cytokine biomarkers at age 2 months predict the future onset of atopic dermatitis.

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) commonly occurs in children and can progress into severe phenotypes or atopic march, causing significant impairment in quality of life. It is important to find early biomarkers of future onset of AD before any clinical manifestations.

Objective: We sought to find early predictors of future onset of AD in skin stratum corneum (SC).

Staphylococcus aureus causes aberrant epidermal lipid composition and skin barrier dysfunction.

Background: Staphylococcus (S) aureus colonization is known to cause skin barrier disruption in atopic dermatitis (AD) patients. However, it has not been studied how S. aureus induces aberrant epidermal lipid composition and skin barrier dysfunction.

Dupilumab significantly improves skin barrier function in patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis.

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is characterized by abnormal skin lipids that are largely driven by hyperactivated type 2 immune responses. The antibody to the α-subunit of interleukin (IL)-4 receptor, dupilumab, was recently approved to treat AD and demonstrated strong efficacy. However, the role of dupilumab therapy in the regulation of skin barrier structure and function has not been fully explored.

Signaling sphingolipids are biomarkers for atopic dermatitis prone to disseminated viral infections.

Background: Life-threatening viral diseases such as eczema herpeticum (EH) and eczema vaccinatum (EV) occur in <5% of individuals with atopic dermatitis (AD). The diagnosis of AD, however, excludes all individuals with AD from smallpox vaccination.

Objectives: We sought to identify circulatory and skin lipid biomarkers associated with EH and EV.

Role of Glucosylceramide in Lung Endothelial Cell Fate and Emphysema.

The loss of pulmonary endothelial cells in emphysema is associated with increased lung ceramide. Ceramide perturbations may cause adaptive alterations in other bioactive sphingolipids, with pathogenic implications. We previously reported a negative correlation between emphysema and circulating glycosphingolipids (GSLs).