CASK: An Unmistakable Relaxation!

Four of the patients with AD exhibited allergic rhinitis, and three of them also had allergic asthma. The severity of AD was assessed using scoring AD (SCORAD) on the first test day, before skin challenge. The mean SCORAD value?��?SD of patients with AD was 27.1?��?13.1. four patients with AD exhibited white dermographism; the other six patients with AD and all healthy controls showed red dermographism. In 20 additional healthy, nonatopic subjects (15 women, mean age?��?SD: 34.0?��?8.1?years), histamine (10?mg/ml; histamine dihydrochloride; ALK-Abello, Horsholm, Denmark) was applied by skin prick testing (forearm, 50% on the left side). Skin challenges were always performed between 9.00 and 11.00 a.m. Study subjects did not use any topical AZD6738 steroids at their forearms, systemic immunosuppressive treatment within the last 30?days preceding test procedures or antihistamines within the last 7?days preceding the skin tests. Itch intensity was assessed using a 10-cm visual analogue scale (VAS). Subjects were asked to evaluate itch intensity every minute over the first 60?min after challenge and to record the intensity and duration of every itch episode at the challenge CASK site within the next 72?h. Skin erythema intensity was measured using a Mexameter (Courage & Khazaka, Cologne, Germany). The measurement principle is based on the absorption capacity of a monochromatic light of wavelength corresponding to the spectral absorption peak of haemoglobin, reflecting haemoglobin content and, in consequence, blood perfusion of the skin. Results are expressed as arbitrary units (AU) and may range from 0 to 999. For the analyses, erythema increment was applied, resulting from subtraction of the initial erythema value from the value at each subsequently analysed time point. Skin erythema was assessed before, 20 and 60?min, 3, 6, 24, 48 and 72?h after challenge. Skin erythema area was measured with a ruler and recorded at the same time points. Statistical analyses were performed using Statistica 7.0 (StatSoft Inc., Tulsa, OK, USA), and graphs were prepared using Prism software (GraphPad, Selleck VX809 San Diego, CA, USA). Three-way analysis of variance (anova) for repeated measurements was employed, with time and challenging substance predefined as a within-subjects factor and health status (AD vs healthy controls) predefined as a between-subjects factor. Post-test with Bonferroni's adjustment was employed when appropriate. Normality of distribution of variables was tested with Kolmogorov�CSmirnov test, sphericity was confirmed with a Mauchly's test, and homogeneity of variance was tested with Levene's test. Statistical significance was set at P?