Neutrophil chemotaxis in patients with atopic dermatitis without infection.

Atopic dermatitis has been associated with recurrent infection and impaired neutrophil chemotaxis in some patients. In order to determine if dermatitis per se could decrease polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) chemotaxis, we investigated chemotaxis in 13 patients with atopic dermatitis and no clinical or historical evidence of recurrent or severe infections. Most patients had extensive, but mild, disease. Leukocyte chemotaxis was measured by the Boyden chamber and agarose techniques; There was no difference between patient and control neutrophil chemoatactic activity. These findings suggest that atopic dermatitis is not ordinarily associated with impaired PMN chemotaxis in the absence of generalized erythroderma or increased susceptibility to infection.