Iterleukin-4 and interferon-in allergic contact dermatitis with atopic background in leather tannery factory worker

Abstract

Immune response in allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) patient is dominated by T helper-1 (Th-1) response characterized
with increase in interferon gamma (IFN-). However, in atopic individual, the immune response is dominated by T
helper-2 (Th-2) response which characterized with the presence of interleukin-4 (IL-4). Based on that condition, it is
hypothesized that atopic individual was hardly to develope ACD. In leather factory, many workers are prone to
develope ACD. The aim of this study is to differentiate the cytokine profiles of IL-4 and IFN-of ACD patients with
or without atopic background. Using a cross-sectional design, this study involved 30 subject assigned into two
groups, one group consisted of 15 subjects with ACD who had atopic background (ACD atopic), the other group
consisted of 15 subjectswith ACD who had no atopic background (ACD non atopic). Both groups were examined by
patch test and confirmed to have ACD when the result was minimally+1 in 48 and/or 96 hours examination. Atopic
skin diathesis score 8 was used to determine the possibility of having atopic background. Serum IL-4 and IFN-
concentrationwere determined using ELISA. Data were analyzed using SPSS with Mann-Whitney non- parametric
test. The results showed that the mean value of IL-4 in both groups were 0.18±0.14 pg/mL and 0.25±0.29 pg/
mL (p=0.917) whereas the mean value of IFN- in both groups were 13.03 ±23.90 pg/mL and 2.76±5.67 pg/
mL, (p=0.096). In conclusion, the cytokine profiles of IL-4 and IFN-were not significantly different between ACD
atopic and ACD non atopic individuals. This finding suggested that atopic and non-atopic individuals had a similar
immunologic response during development of ACD.
Key words: immunologic response-cytokine-occupational contact dematitis-T helper-patch testing