New Developments in Atopic Dermatitis and Implications for the Atopic March

At AAAAI 2023 | February 23, 2023, 1:00 - 5:00 PM Central Time 

Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center | Meeting Room Level, Room 221 | San Antonio, TX, USA   

Join the IEC for a special symposium addressing the New Developments in Atopic Dermatitis and Implications for the Atopic March. This symposium will take place prior to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) 2023 Annual Meeting. Learn more about the AAAAI 2023 Annual Meeting. 

Registration for the AAAAI Annual Meeting is now open. Please note you will register for this course on the AAAAI registration site. There is a $10.00 course fee for the IEC symposium which includes a snack.

You may sign up for the IEC course at AAAAI without registering for the 2023 AAAAI Annual Meeting. If you are registering for the 2023 AAAAI Annual Meeting, visit the registration page.

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES 

1. Demonstrate diagnostic accuracy of atopic dermatitis, assess when to biopsy and when to refer patients for further evaluation
2. Apply recent advances in AD pathogenesis, including immune dysregulation, barrier dysfunction and interpretation of differences between adults and children to better assess and treat patients with atopic dermatitis
3. Optimize AD treatment selection using recent advances in emerging topical and systemic therapies
4. Recognize and treat the most frequent infections associated with AD
5. Acquire strategies to better counsel parents and patients on atopic dermatitis prevention

 COURSE MODERATOR

COURSE CO-CHAIRS

• Emma Guttman-Yassky, MD, PhD
• Amy Paller, MD, MSc

AGENDA

1:00-1:10 PM: Welcome from the IEC | Robert Bissonnette, MD | IEC President

1:10-1:30 PM: Differential Diagnosis of Atopic Dermatitis | Jonathan Silverberg, MD, PhD, MPH | IEC Councilor | George Washington University School of  Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, DC (20-minutes)

The idea behind this session addresses that Atopic Dermatitis (AD) is not necessarily easy to diagnose and that many skin diseases, including infections and malignancies, can sometimes be confounded with AD. Differential diagnosis will be reviewed and tips given to interpret when a skin biopsy or other evaluations are needed and/or when patients should be referred for further evaluation.  There will be time for Q & A with this presenter. Session learning objectives:

• Review the differential diagnosis of atopic dermatitis.
• Identify which patients should be biopsied.
• Assess when to refer patients for further evaluations.

1:30-1:55 PM: Immune Pathogenesis: Towards Personalized Medicine | Emma Guttman-Yassky, MD, PhD | IEC Immediate Past-President and Co-Founder | Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY | *Pre-Recorded Presentation (25-minutes)

The idea behind this session is to underscore that AD is a heterogeneous disease that has differences among various ethnic and racial groups, which might be important for the selection and development of targeted treatments and more effective personalized medicine approaches. There will be time for Q & A with this presenter. Session learning objectives:

• Define personalized medicine as it relates to the care and treatment of AD.
• Recognize differences among various ethnic and racial groups for personalized treatment approaches.

1:55-2:15 PM: The Leaky Barrier: Abnormalities in Keratinocyte Differentiation, Tight Junctions and Lipids | Alan Irvine, MD, DSc | IEC President Elect | Trinity College Dublin, Children’s Health; Dublin, Ireland | *Pre-Recorded Presentation (20-minutes)                     

The idea behind this session is to illustrate that a cardinal AD feature is global alteration in epidermal biology, which, among other things, leads to a dysfunctional barrier and inflammation that promotes a type 2 immune response. The epidermal components responsible for the barrier function of the skin are numerous and highly integrated. Sorting out the hierarchy and relevance of each of these as they relate to barrier function and ultimately AD severity (and phenotypes) is important. There will be time for Q & A with this presenter. Session learning objectives:

• Discuss abnormalities in keratinocyte differentiation, tight junctions and lipids present in AD patients.
• Review epidermal components responsible for the barrier function of the skin.
• Discuss hierarchy and relevance of epidermal components as they relate to barrier function, AD severity, and phenotypes.

2:15-2:35 PM: Clinical and Molecular Differences in Skin and Blood of Children Compared to Adults  | Amy S. Paller, MD, MSc | IEC Past-President and Co-Founder | Northwestern University, Chicago, IL (20-minutes)

The idea behind this session is that although atopic dermatitis (AD) often presents in infancy and persists into adulthood, comparative characterization of AD skin among different pediatric age groups has recently been explored. The shared signature of AD across ages is TH2/TH22-skewed, yet differential expression of specific TH2/TH22-related genes, other TH pathways, and barrier-related genes portray age-specific molecular fingerprints, which may impact clinical presentation and optimal management strategies. There will be time for Q & A with this presenter. Session learning objectives:

• Discuss clinical and molecular differences in skin and blood of pediatric and adult patients with AD.
• Implement knowledge on the clinical and molecular differences between children and adults to help optimize treatment selection.

2:35-2:55 PM: Infections in Atopic Dermatitis and Implications for Therapy | Carolyn Jack, MD, PhD | IEC Associate |Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University; Montreal, Canada (20-minutes)

The idea behind this session is to better understand the role of the microbiome in AD including the heavy colonization with Staphylococcus aureus. The diagnosis and treatment of infections associated with AD including those caused staphylococcus aureus and eczema herpeticum will be reviewed. There will be time for Q & A with this presenter. Session learning objectives:

• Improve understanding for the role of the microbiome in the pathogenesis of AD patients.
• Improve management of AD when infection and/or colonization is present on the skin.

2:55-3:15 PM: Break (20-minutes)

3:15-3:35 PM: Emerging Topical Therapies | Robert Bissonnette, MD | IEC President | Innovaderm Research, Montreal, Canada (20-minutes)

The idea behind this session is to review the safety, efficacy and optimal use of emerging topical therapies that have recently been approved or that are currently in phase 3 for the treatment of atopic dermatitis. There will be time for Q & A with this presenter. Session learning objectives:

• Improve understanding of emerging topical therapies for the treatment of AD.
• Improve treatment selection and use of topical therapy for the treatment of AD.

3:35-3:55 PM: Emerging Systemic Therapies | Eric Simpson, MD | IEC Councilor | Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, OR (20-minutes)       

The idea behind this session is to provide a comprehensive review of the safety, efficacy and optimal use of emerging systemic therapies that have recently been approved or that are currently in phase 3 for the treatment of atopic dermatitis. There will be time for Q & A with this presenter. Session learning objectives:

• Improve understanding of the various emerging systemic therapies for AD.
• Improve treatment selection and use of systemic therapy for the management of AD patients.

3:55-4:15 PM: Prevention Strategies for Atopic Dermatitis and the Atopic March | Ioana Agache, MD, PhD | Transylvania University, Brașov, Romania (20-minutes)

The idea behind this session to review evidence around prevention strategies for AD. Atopic dermatitis (AD) affects up to 20% of children worldwide and is an increasing public health problem, particularly in developed countries. Although AD in infants and young children can resolve, there is a well-recognized increased risk of sequential progression from AD to other atopic diseases, including food allergies, allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma, and allergic rhino conjunctivitis—a process referred to as the atopic march. Session learning objectives:

• Improve patient counseling on prevention strategies for AD and the atopic march.
• Review sequential progression from AD to other atopic diseases.

4:15-4:55 PM: Panel Discussion | 40-minutes of Q&A will be moderated by the symposium co-chairs and will allow the participating audience to ask questions of all speakers.

4:55-5:00 PM: Closing Comments & Adjournment  

HEALTH AND SAFETY TRAVEL RESOURCES

IEC will comply with AAAAI and local mandates at the time of the in-person meeting. Visit the AAAAI's Health and Safety Protocols site for more information.