Anxiety in allergy and atopic dermatitis

Purpose of review Individuals suffering from allergies often exhibit a specific psychological profile characterized by anxiety, depression and emotional excitability. Emotional stress precipitates allergic symptoms not only by heightening anxiety levels but also by dysregulating immune-cell funtions. The primary objective of this report is to review recent finding of the relationship between anxiety and hypersensitivity responses in the context of psychoneuroimmunology in allergic individuals, notably patients with atopic dermatitis. Recent findings Atopic subjects with emotional problems develop a vicious cycle between anxiety and clinical symptoms. Acute stresses, which repeatedly and chronically affect patients with atopic dermatitis, raise anxiety in general more preferentially than anxiety at present. This psychological failure enchances Th2 type responses due to dyseregulation of the inuroimmune system, leading to worsening of allergic symptoms. Tandospirone, a 5-hydroxytryptamine 1A receptor agonist with anxiolytic and antidepressant effects, attenuates itching through successful control of emotional difficulties. These data suggest the efficacy of administrating drugs with anxiolytic effects of adminstrating drugs with anxiolytic effects as part of the management strategy of stress associated itching in patients with atopic dermatitits. Summary Psychological interventions such as periodic monitoring of anxiety levels in the context of immune functions and skin conditions are fundamental in therapy of allergic patients with emotional problems.