Western lifestyle and increased prevalence of atopic diseases: an example from a small papua new guinean island.

Background: : Allergic diseases represent an increasing problem in public health in most modern societies as their prevalence has risen markedly during recent decades. Nevertheless, the causes of this increase are not yet fully explained.

Objective: : We investigated the correlation of Western lifestyle pattern in varying intensity to the prevalence of atopic diseases in 5 small villages on Karkar Island, in northeast Papua New Guinea.

Clinical improvement and significant reduction of total serum IgE in patients suffering from severe atopic dermatitis treated with oral azathioprine.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common inflammatory skin disease: the incidence is increasing in many countries and treatment can be difficult. The aim of this retrospective case series was to examine the effect of oral azathioprine on the clinical severity and serum IgE levels in 38 patients with severe atopic dermatitis. The AD was well-controlled in nearly 80% (30/38).