Reduced amount of secretory component of IgA secretion in tears of patients with atopic dermatitis.

Coupled with the previous finding that sIgA excretion was reduced onto the surface of the skin, we demonstrated that sIgA secretion in the tears of patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) was significantly lower than that of normal subjects, using a small stick made of nitrocellulose membrane. In the bacterial cultures, we have also detected a higher frequency of Staphylococcus aureus in the tears from patients with AD compared to normal subjects. These findings suggested reduced sIgA secretion on the mucous membrane might play a crucial role in the pathomechanisms of the ocular lesions, such as abnormal bacterial flora and ocular complications as well as the establishment of skin lesions in AD.