Buzzes and controversies of last year in the AD literature
Dear Colleagues, Dear Friends,
On behalf of ISAD, I extend my best wishes for a bright and successful New Year, filled with new achievements that will benefit our patients. We are actively planning our 2025 meetings and are excited to share some updates.
Our Spring Live Global Virtual Symposium is scheduled for April 4th, focusing on the theme of misinformation in social media—a topic highlighted in our September digest and prioritized during the Doha Board meeting. The format will mirror the successful One Health Symposium from 2024, which remains accessible online [link].
Additionally, we are collaborating with John Su and his team in Melbourne, Australia, to develop the scientific program for the 15th Rajka Symposium on Atopic Dermatitis, taking place from October 24–26, 2025. A special event will also commemorate the centenary of Professor George Rajka’s birth [link].
Buzzes and controversies of last year in the AD literature
Salt and AD: Analyzing large datasets by combining multiple variables may offer new insights, though the findings can be challenging to interpret. A cross-sectional study assessed 24-hour urinary sodium excretion, estimated from a single spot urine sample in the UK Biobank, alongside AD history and active AD status derived from electronic medical records. Multivariable logistic regression showed that a 1-gram increase in estimated 24-hour sodium excretion was linked to higher odds of AD, active AD, and greater AD severity. While the odds ratios were modest and the findings lacked clear significance, the media have amplified the results, generating considerable attention. This has led to calls for sodium restriction, which, while unproven for AD, could contribute to reducing hypertension.
➜ DOI: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2024.1544
Dupilumab and Weight Gain: This phenomenon was first highlighted by a Swedish team during the Montreal ISAD meeting in 2022. In 2024, new data revealed an average weight gain of 3.3 kg in patients with AD treated with dupilumab compared to those on other systemic treatments over two years. Interestingly, this weight gain was not observed in patients with asthma, who instead experienced weight loss. The authors attribute this to improved asthma symptoms and reduced reliance on inhaled corticosteroids. The underlying mechanisms of weight gain remain unclear, but the authors point to the depletion of IL-4 and IL-13, which may affect brown fat, a critical tissue for energy expenditure.
➜ DOI: 10.2340/actadv.v104.40796
Recent findings of similar weight gain in patients with nasal polyposis treated with dupilumab suggest a possible link between olfactory improvement and weight gain. Could this indicate the need for closer evaluation of underdiagnosed nasal involvement in AD patients?
➜ DOI: 10.1007/s00405-024-09021-0
Best wishes and Happy New Year,
Alain TAÏEB
President ISAD
#StayInformed:
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