Enhancement of allergic skin wheal responses and in vitro allergen-specific IgE production by computer-induced stress in patients with atopic dermatitis.

Computer-induced stress enhanced allergen-specific skin wheal responses in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) while it failed to do so in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR). Computer-induced stress also enhanced plasma levels of substance P (SP) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) in patients with AD, but not with AR. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells stimulated with combination of IL-4, IL-10, anti-CD40 mAb, and allergen produced allergen-specific IgE production in both patients with AD and AR. Computer-induced stress enhanced allergen-specific IgE production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with AD, but not from patients with AR. This is the first report that computer-induced stress enhances allergen-specific responses with concomitant increase of plasma levels of SP and VIP specifically in patients with AD. Since AD is often aggravated by stress, these finding may have implications for the pathophysiology and treatment of AD.