An observational study in Eczema and Atopic Dermatitis, sponsored by National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 2 Years to 100 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-11-05.
Sponsored by National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) · Observational
This study will examine microbes (e.g., bacteria, fungi, viruses) that live on human skin and how microbes contribute to health and disease. It will analyze healthy human skin and how the these microorganisms might change in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD), a skin condition also known as eczema.
Healthy volunteers, as well as patients with moderate to severe eczema (AD), between 2 and 40 years of age may be eligible for this study.
We also wish to enroll children and adults aged 2-40 who have been diagnosed with inherited immune disorders known as HIES (hyperimmunoglobulin-E syndrome), WAS (Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome), or DOCK8 immunodeficiency because they frequently have skin problems similar to AD.
Eligible participants undergo the following tests and procedures:
Participants may be contacted periodically for follow-up studies. Patients with atopic dermatitis may have additional skin samples collected to examine changes in the skin bacteria over time and during all of the stages of eczema. In addition, patients who have a flare of their eczema are asked to undergo a skin sample collection as soon as possible.
503 studies on the registry are indexed under Eczema; 89 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 530 is above the median of 300 across 81 observational studies indexed under Eczema.
Browse Eczema studies →National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) is the lead sponsor of 203 studies on the registry; 33 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Healthy (adult) volunteers AD patients Healthy (pediatric) controls Patients diagnosed with the primary immunodeficiency hyperIgE syndrome (HIES) Patients diagnosed with the primary immunodeficiency Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome (WAS) Patients diagnosed with the combined immunodeficiency associated with DOCK8 mutation (DOCK8)
Inclusion Criteria for all groups
Must have a primary care professional who will continue standard of care/evaluation in tandem with the protocol to whom information and recommendations can be communicated.
Inclusion Criteria for Group 1: Healthy Volunteers
Adult males or females aged 18-50 at time of enrollment.
Inclusion Criteria for Group 2: AD patients
A. Confirmed diagnosis of AD (UK Working Party s Diagnostic Criteria)24
B. Moderate to severe AD SCORAD greater than or equal to 25(25)
C. Greater than or equal to 1 affected antecubital (or popliteal) fossae at time of enrollment to serve as a target site.
Inclusion Criteria for Group 3: Healthy (pediatric) Controls
A. Males or females 2-18 years of age.
Inclusion Criteria for Groups 4, 5, \& 6: AD/HIES/WAS/DOCK8 patients
A. Must have mutation-proven diagnosis, with or without eczematous dermatitis.
EXCLUSION CRITERIA:
Exclusion Criteria for all groups:
Exclusion Criteria specific for Group 2: AD patients
A. Unable to remain off systemic (oral) antibiotics or systemic (oral) for at least 7 days prior to body site sampling. Unable to temporarily discontinue use of topical steroids or calcineurin inhibitors for greater than or equal to 7 days to small areas of skin intended for sampling. (Topical therapies/emollients for AD may be continued to non-adjacent, nontarget sites.)
B. Underlying immunodeficiency, either as primary disease or secondary to treatment.
Exclusion Criteria specific for Groups 4, 5, \& 6: HIES/WAS/DOCK8 patients:
A. Unable to remain off topical steroids and emollients for preferably 7 days but at least 24 hours prior to body site sampling.
Exclusion Criteria specific for Groups 1 \& 3: Healthy Volunteers and Healthy (pediatric) Controls:
A. Any subjects with unstable or uncontrolled or chronic medical conditions requiring treatment or hospitalization. Individual determinations will be made at the discretion of the medical investigator.
B. Underlying immunodeficiency, either as primary disease or secondary to treatment.
C. Other documented chronic dermatologic disease, such as AD or psoriasis that may interfere with evaluation of the cutaneous microbiome. Common transient conditions, such as acne, are permissible.
D. Subjects who provide direct healthcare or reside in healthcare facilities or in non-hospital settings such as assisted living facilities, homeless shelters, jails and prisons as well as subjects with frequent exposure to laboratory animals.
E. Subjects with asthma.
5. Any female with symptoms and/or serum hormone levels consistent with perimenopause
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
A weakened immune system. It can come from an illness, such as HIV or some blood cancers, or from medicines that turn the immune system down, for example after an organ transplant or for an autoimmune disease; steroids at higher doses count.
Read whether the line is about a condition or about medicines, and which medicines and doses it means.
Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.
Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.
Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.
Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.
Immunosuppression
A weakened immune system. It can come from an illness, such as HIV or some blood cancers, or from medicines that turn the immune system down, for example after an organ transplant or for an autoimmune disease; steroids at higher doses count.
Read whether the line is about a condition or about medicines, and which medicines and doses it means.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Cancer (malignancy)
Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.
Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Corticosteroids (steroids)
Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.
Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Healthy (pediatric) controls
Healthy (adult) volunteers
AD patients
Patients diagnosed with the primary immunodeficiency hyperIgE syndrome (HIES)
Patients diagnosed with the primary immunodeficiency Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome (WAS)
Patients diagnosed with the combined immunodeficiency associated with DOCK8 mutation (DOCK8)
Primary Immunodeficiency
Analyze the microbiome of patients with primary immunodeficiency disorders that are known to have AD-like skin disease.
Time frame: Ongoing
Healthy volunteers
Characterize the microbiome of healthy individuals.
Time frame: Ongoing
Plan to share: No
Started Jan 2008 (actual).
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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