Papers of the Week

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that starts during childhood with a varied course. Itching or incessant itching in severe cases, sleep disturbance, and infection-prone skin are the typical symptoms of this disease. Substance P is postulated to have an important role in AD. Increasing levels of substance P in AD induce the release of IFN-γ, IL-4, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and IL-10 from peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes, inducing an itching response.