Alpha interferon treatment in atopic dermatitis.

Eight patients suffering from atopic dermatitis were treated with interferon alpha 2b. They received low or intermediate doses (9-15 x 10(6) U/week) for a short period of time (4-8 weeks), with a moderate improvement of skin lesions in 4 of them and no change or an exacerbation of the disease in the other 4. Among the 4 patients who slightly improved at 4 weeks, 3 did not show any beneficial effect of interferon after 8 weeks. Serum IgE levels, which were increased in all patients before treatment, were not reduced under interferon therapy. This study shows that intermediate doses of interferon alpha 2b are not effective in the short-term treatment of atopic dermatitis.