Atopic dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a relapsing chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by eczematous skin lesions and intense pruritus. A genetic defect in the filaggrin (FLG) protein and/or environmental factors are thought to cause AD by disrupting the epidermis. This disruption, in turn, results in contact between immune cells in the dermis and antigens from the external environment leading to intense itching, scratching, and inflammation. Apart from FLG, recent genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified many susceptibility loci of atopic dermatitis with genome-wide significance.