Khurana Hershey Lab

Mechanisms of Progression of Atopic Dermatitis to Asthma in Children (M-PAACH)

Mechanisms of Progression of Atopic Dermatitis to Asthma in Children (MPAACH)

M-PAACH is the first US-based prospective infant cohort and the first mechanistic atopic dermatitis (AD) cohort designed to explain endotypes of AD that progress to asthma and identify biomarkers of disease progression.

It’s been supported that children with eczema are more likely to develop allergies and asthma. This study will evaluate how genetic environmental and immune factors contribute to some children with eczema developing other allergic diseases while others do not.

Discoveries

Through our research, our data has suggested that:

• The most common sensitizations in children with AD are egg, peanut, dog and tree.
• Early-life sensitization if ~50% higher in children with AD compared to children from a high-risk allergy cohort, despite similar rates of parental allergy/asthma. AD may increase sensitization risk over heredity alone.
• Even the normal, healthy appearing skin in children with AD has qualities that can promote more severe AD and more sensitization, which increases the risk of developing more allergic diseases such as food allergy, allergic rhinitis and asthma.
• Certain types of bacteria present on this skin can increase the severity of AD in children.
• Children sensitized to both aeroallergens and food allergens have more severe AD.

Read some of our related publications:

• Biofilm propensity of Staphylococcus aureus skin isolates is associated with increased atopic dermatitis severity and barrier dysfunction in the MPAACH pediatric cohort
• Atopic dermatitis independently increases sensitization above parental atopy: The MPAACH study
• Events in Normal Skin Promote Early-Life Atopic Dermatitis-The MPAACH Cohort