Salivary chromogranin A levels correlate with disease severity but do not reflect anxiety or personality of adult patients with atopic dermatitis

Abstract

Stress-induced scratching is an issue in patients with adult atopic dermatitis (AD). Although itching and stress are believed to be intimately related, no objective index is available; therefore, most evaluations are subjective. Using saliva, which is easily collected, we investigated the degree to which AD severity and patient stress levels are reflected in stress proteins in the saliva. Here, we evaluated the severity (Scoring Atopic Dermatitis [SCORAD] score), stress (State-Trait Anxiety Index [STAI] score), personality (Tokyo University Egogram [TEG] II score) and quality of life (Dermatology Life Quality Index [DLQI] score) of 51 patients with AD who were examined in the Department of Dermatology of Shimane University between April and December 2015. We collected saliva and measured salivary chromogranin A (CgA), amylase and cortisol. The amount of salivary CgA per protein in patients with AD was correlated with their SCORAD score (r = 0.458, P < 0.001). There was no correlation between cortisol or amylase levels and SCORAD score. SCORAD score was correlated with DLQI (r = 0.390, P = 0.006). CgA per protein was correlated with DLQI (r = 0.393, P = 0.004). There was no correlation between scores for the anxiety component of the STAI, TEG II or DLQI. Our results suggested that patients with more severe AD may have high stress levels. The personalities of these patients with AD tended to involve elevated anxiety levels.

Changes in salivary chromogranin A levels in adults with atopic dermatitis are correlated with changes in their condition

“…The study included 30 patients with AD (19 men, 11 women; mean age, 32.71 years; range, 17–57) who were examined in the Department of Dermatology, Shimane University Hospital, between April 2015 and May 2017, and consented to participate in this study. The patients who participated in this experiment met the diagnostic criteria of AD proposed by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare Research Group . Patient data was anonymized prior to the analyses.…”

“…Salivary CgA is attracting attention as a new indicator of psychological stress. We previously reported that the CgA per protein in saliva correlates with the severity of AD …”

Trends of stress and stress coping in patients with atopic dermatitis: Analysis using the brief coping orientation to problems experienced inventory

“…Some studies have shown a link between stress and AD severity . Chromogranin A in saliva as a stress marker is well known and has been found to be related to stress and the severity of AD . Additionally, changes in the subjective severity scores have been found to be correlated with changes in salivary CgA .…”

“…They consented to participate in this study by opt‐out method. The patients who participated in this experiment met the diagnostic criteria for AD proposed by the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare Research Group . Patient data were anonymized prior to the analyses.…”

T helper type 2 signatures in atopic dermatitis

“…8,9 Their stress levels are also very high. 10 Atopic dermatitis is more frequent in childhood, especially in the first five years of life. 11,12 The prevalence or incidence of AD in the first five years of childhood is 10%-16.5% and is generally considered to be increasing worldwide, at least from the 1980s to early 2000s.…”