الفهرس 
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Abstract
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory disease causing
intense pruritus with typical clinical features (Orfali et al., 2013).
• The risk of low gamma radiation on human skin was reviewed in this
study; particularly the prevalence of atopic dermatitis among radiation
workers.
• The present study included 100 patients with AD chosen from the
outpatient clinic of the National Center for Radiation Research and
Technology in Cairo, Egypt. They were divided into 2 groups; group 1
including radiation workers in the Hall of gamma irradiation unit
(radiation center zone) and group 2 including workers away from the
radiation center zone.
• Each group has 50 patients, 36 (72%) males and 14 (28%) females.
Their age ranged between 20 and 46 years with mean of age (35 ±
9.45). No history of any other cutaneous or systemic diseases.
• According to the grading of disease severity, AD patients were divided
into three groups:
Group of mild cases (score ≤ 4); included 31 patients; 10 patients
in group 1 and 21 in group 2.
Group of moderate cases (score 4.1-7.9); included 30 patients; 13
patients in group 1 and 17 in group 2.
Group of severe cases (score ≥ 8); included 39 patients; 27 patients
in group 1 and 12 in group 2. The results of this study illustrated statistical analysis of grades of
severity in patients with AD (group 1 and group 2), showed that there
were significant difference between both groups in mild and severe
cases (P-value = 0.023 and 0.006) respectively, but there was no
significant difference in moderate cases.
• In group 1; 50 cases were S. aureus (100%) and 18 were S.
epidermidis (36%), while in group 2, 38 were S. aureus (76%) and 15
were S. epidermidis (30%). Comparative analysis revealed that the
colonization rate of S. aureus in group 1 were distinctly higher than in
group 2.
• The frequency of isolated Malassezia species from group 1 was
(100%) and from group 2 was (82%).
• The most common isolated species was M. globosa from group 1
(25%) and group 2 (22%).
• The second common species isolated were M. furfur and M.
sympodialis with a percentage of 10% and 8% in group 1 & 2
respectively.
• The least species isolated in this study was M. obtusa in group 1 and
group 2 with a percentage of 5% & 3% respectively.
• The predominance of M. globosa may be due to the environmental
conditions together with the life style.
• The statistical analysis of different types of Malassezia species in
patients with AD (group 1 and 2), showed that there was no significant
difference in the distribution of individual isolated Malassezia species
from the lesions of AD in group 1 and 2, but there was significant difference in sum of the isolated Malassezia species from the lesions
of AD in group 1 and 2 (P- value = 0.008).
• The results of PCR-RFLP analyses of clinical isolates were in
complete agreement with those from DNA sequencing and included
47 cases of M. globosa, 18 cases of M. furfur, 18 cases of M.
sympodialis, and 8 cases of M. obtuse as well as 88 cases of S. aureus,
• There was a direct proportional relation between the clinical severity
and IgE level; as the clinical severity increased IgE level antibody also
increased against all Malassezia species.
• In moderate AD; specific IgE antibodies against M. globosa, M. furfur
and M. sympodialis were detected in more than 70% of patients; while
M. obtusa was 62.5% of patients. Whereas, in severe cases specific
IgE antibodies against the four Malassezia species were detected in
more than 90% of patients.
• Serum SEA/SEB-specific IgE levels were significantly different
among the three groups of different severity of AD.
• Eosinophilia was present in 69 % of AD patients.
• The significant increase of AD severity among radiation workers
could be related to the prevalence of S. aureus and Malassezia in the
skin of radiation workers. Also, the presence of high IgE and
eosinophils verified the predominance of AD in radiation workers.