ABSTRACT This study evaluated the clinical utility of serum TARC levels as an objective biomarker in infants with atopic dermatitis (AD) under 6 months of age in pediatric primary care practice, a population for which evidence remains limited. A retrospective search identified 61 infants (median age: 4 months) diagnosed with AD using The UK Working Party criteria and the Japanese guidelines for atopic dermatitis. These findings suggested a strong correlation between serum TARC levels and Objective SCORAD, and proposed the cutoff value for serum TARC demonstrating mild and moderate‐to‐severe AD was 2100 pg/mL derived using ROC analysis. Furthermore, in the group classified as the moderate‐to‐severe group based on the cutoff value, the period required to the duration until discontinuation of topical anti‐inflammatory drugs was significantly longer than in the mild group. The recurrence rate of AD up to age 5 was significantly higher in this group than in the mild group. It is interesting to note that the incidence rate of Japanese cedar pollen allergy up to age 5 was significantly higher in the moderate‐to‐severe group. Based on these findings, it is hoped that measuring serum TARC in early infants with AD will be clinically useful for assessing the severity and prognosis.
Yamada et al. (2026) studied this question.