• Serkan Bilge Koca, Hatice Eke Güngör, and Murat Cansever.
• Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Kayseri City Education and Research Hospital, Health Sciences University, Kayseri, Turkiye.
• Turk J Med Sci. 2024 Jan 1; 54 (1): 330337330-337.

Background/AimAtopic dermatitis (AD) is an inflammatory, pruritic, noncontagious, chronic relapsing skin disease. Skin barrier abnormalities, excessive T helper 2 activity, and immune dysregulation are held responsible. Androgens have a negative effect on the integrity of the epidermal skin barrier, while estrogen has a positive effect. We aimed to investigate whether hormones make a difference between healthy children and children with AD during minipuberty.Materials And MethodsA total of 96 infants (postnatal 4-13 weeks), 48 diagnosed with AD and 48 controls, were included. Each group consisted of 23 girls (47.9%) and 25 boys (52.1%). Anthropometric examinations and hormone measurements were compared.ResultsThe two groups, having similar age, sex, body mass index, and weight-for-length standard deviation scores, were compared. Serum free thyroxine (FT4) levels were found to be lower and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP3) levels were found to be higher in children with AD (p < 0.001 and p = 0.038, respectively). In girls with AD, estradiol, FT4, and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels were found to be lower, but thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels were found to be higher (p = 0.023, p < 0.001, p = 0.038, and p = 0.034, respectively). In boys with AD, the FT4 level was found to be lower (p = 0.023). Serum FT4 and TSH levels were within normal reference ranges in all comparisons.ConclusionEspecially in girls with AD, decreased estradiol and IGF-1 levels were observed compared to the controls during minipuberty. In the logistic regression model, decreased levels of serum estradiol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, FT4, and IGF-1, and increased levels of IGFBP3 were associated with an increased likelihood of exhibiting atopic dermatitis.© TÜBİTAK.

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