Abstract
BACKGROUND: The CD23 molecule has an effect on the regulation of IgE synthesis, either by stimulation or inhibition. It is not yet known whether the expression of CD23 on B lymphocytes is related to the level of allergen-specific IgE antibodies in patients with atopic dermatitis. AIM: The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the association between the expression of CD23 molecule on B cells and on their subsets (memory, naive, switched, non-switched, and total B lymphocytes) and the level of specific IgE to molecular components of mites in atopic dermatitis patients (with and without dupilumab therapy). METHODS: Forty-five patients suffering from atopic dermatitis were included: 32 patients without dupilumab treatment (10 men, 22 women, average age 35 years), 13 patients with dupilumab treatment (7 men, 6 women, average age 43.4 years) and 30 subjects as a control group (10 men, 20 women, average age 44.7 years). The serum level of the specific IgE was measured using the components resolved diagnostic microarray-based specific IgE detection assay ALEX2 Allergy Xplorer. In all included patients, the expression of CD23 molecule on B lymphocytes was evaluated with flow cytometry using monoclonal antibodies. For the statistical analysis of the association between expression of CD23 molecule on B lymphocytes and the level of specific IgE to molecular components of mites, we used non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis one-factor analysis of variance with post-hoc by Dunn's test with Bonferroni modification and the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient; for coefficients higher than 0.41, we report R2 (%, percent of Variation Explained). RESULTS: The association between the expression of CD23 molecule on B cells and the level of specific IgE to molecular components of mites was confirmed only in patients with dupilumab therapy. In these patients, the highest association was confirmed between the level of specific IgE to Der p 20 and expression of CD23 on switched B lymphocytes (in 48.9%). In patients without dupilumab, the association between the level of specific IgE to molecular components of mites and the expression of CD23 on B cells and on their subsets is low. CONCLUSION: Further research is needed to fully understand the underlying mechanism of this phenomenon and its implications for the treatment of atopic dermatitis.