Registry for the Atopic Dermatitis Research Network

People with atopic dermatitis (AD), also known as eczema, experience hot, dry, scaly skin with severe itching. In addition, people with AD are prone to skin infections and inflammation. Little is known about the causes of AD or why people with AD are more prone to infections. The purpose of this multi-center, clinical registry study is to determine genetic markers associated with susceptibility of AD patients to infections and to also serve as a potential participant database for future studies. Study procedures will usually be completed in one visit to the clinic; however, participants may need to return for one or more additional visits to provide blood and skin swabs if they do not meet sampling criteria at the initial Screening Visit. A subset of participants from National Jewish Health may be asked to return to clinic for 2 additional visits approximately 7 and 14 days after the original sample collection for collection of skin swabs for assessment of antimicrobial activity. All participants may also be asked to return for an Unscheduled Visit to provide additional blood and/or skin swabs. Atopic Dermatitis with previous or current Eczema Herpeticum (ADEH+), Atopic Dermatitis with previous or current Eczema Vaccinatum (ADEV+) and Methicillin-Resistant S. Aureus (MRSA+) participants will be contacted every 6 months for the duration of the study. Recruitment emphasis will include Non-Hispanic Caucasian, Non-Hispanic African American, and Mexican American since these constitute the three largest racial/ethnic populations according to the U.S. Census Bureau 2009 data; however, no racial/ethnic groups will be excluded. Our scientific rationale for targeting these three racial/ethnic groups is to ensure that we are able to recruit sufficient numbers of participants in each group to perform meaningful tests for genetic association.