Eosinophil-derived neurotoxin in the one to three-month-old infants as a biomarker for screening children with risk of atopic dermatitis development

Tsikhan N.M., Lialikau S.A., Belevtsev M.V., Zverko U.L., Kurbat M.N., Kupchynskaya A.N., Dubovik V.S., Nikolskaya A.K.

Grodno State Medical University, Grodno, Belarus
Research Center for Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Immunology, Minsk, Belarus
Grodno Regional Clinical Perinatal Center, Grodno, Belarus
City Clinical Emergency Hospital, Grodno, Belarus

Purpose. To evaluate prognostic significance of the urine eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (uEoDN) as a screening biomarker for identifying persons at risk of developing atopic dermatitis (AD) in the first two years of life and to determine the factors which influence uEoDN levels in 1- to 3-months-old infants.
Methods. 198 mother-child dyads were recruited for the prospective cohort study. IgE, IgA, IL-4, 5, 6, 10, 25; TSLP, TGFβ1 and β2, IFN-γ levels were measured in cord blood and breast milk by ELISA as well as urine EDN concentration (uEDN, µg/mmol creatinine).
Results. Infants exposed to higher concentrations of IL-4, IL-5, TSLP, IFN-γ, IgE and lower concentrations of TGFβ1 and β2, sIgA via umbilical cord blood and breast milk (for all cases < 0.05) had higher uEoN. uEDN levels in 3-month-old infant who was diagnosed with AD in their catamnesis (25,3 [13,5; 46,9] mg/mmol Cr) were higher (p=0.009) than in children without AD in catamnesis (17,5 [6,4; 33,7]). uEDN excretion below 10,5 µg/mmol Cr in 3-month-old infant is associated with low likelihood of developing AD in the first two years of life, probability of error is 10.17% (sensitivity 85,4%, specificity 38,4%, PNV 89,83%).