Abstract: Objective To study serum specific antibodies against stap hylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) and their significance in the patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) and eczema. Methods Patients with AD and eczema were enrolled in a multi-center,randomized,double-blind and controlled study in Nanjing,Guangzhou and Chongqing.The study group was treated with hydrocortisone buty ratecream and mupirocin,while the control group was treated with hydrocortisone butyrate cream and the matrix of mupirocin,for 28 days in both groups.Sera were taken from the patients before and after treatment to detect the antibodies.And enzyme-linked immunosorbentassay(ELISA) was used to detect serum levels of specific IgG and IgM against SEB,and bridged streptavidine-biotin method to detect serum level of SEB-specific IgE. Results Before treatment,compared with the normal controls,levels of SEB-specific IgM were significantly increased in both AD and eczema patients (P<0.05),and SEB-specific IgE in AD patients were significantly higher than those of the patients with eczema and the controls (P<0.05).However,levels of SEB-specific IgG were similar in both the pati ents and controls.At the end of treatment,levels of SEB-specific IgM were sign ificantly decreased(P<0.05)in both AD and eczema patients,and not significantly different between the patients and controls(P>0.05).Serum level of SEB-specific IgE was not correlated with the severity of both ADand eczema (P>0.05). Conclusions The higher level of SEB-specific IgM and IgE in AD and eczema indicates the colonization of Staphylococcus aureus,which participates in the exace rbation of allergic inflammation,is involved in the pathogenesis of AD and eczema.

Key words: Dermatitis, atopic, Eczema, Staphylococcual aureus, Enterotoxins