An observational study in Atopic Dermatitis, sponsored by University of Zurich. Completed at 3 sites in 3 countries. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-07-09.
Sponsored by University of Zurich · Observational
Many people are affected by atopic dermatitis (AD) worldwide. However, clinical studies on AD in Sub-Saharan Africa are rare and there is a lack of knowledge about possible differences in pathogenesis between European and African AD.
This study will collect clinical and laboratory data with the aim to compare clinical characteristics and immune responses in AD patients in Sub-Saharan Africa and Central Europe. Furthermore, relevant allergens as well as the nasal, skin and gut micro- and mycobiome will be investigated.
Objectives of the project: Compare the following aspects in patients suffering from atopic dermatitis (AD) and healthy control (HC) participants in Central Europe (CE) vs. Sub-Saharan Africa (SsA):
1,591 studies on the registry are indexed under Dermatitis, Atopic; 286 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 240 is above the median of 150 across 282 observational studies indexed under Dermatitis, Atopic.
Browse Dermatitis, Atopic studies →University of Zurich is the lead sponsor of 1,049 studies on the registry; 133 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Patients with active atopic dermatitis and healthy control participants
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
AD patients:
HC participants:
Exclusion Criteria:
Systemic immunomodulatory/-suppressive treatment
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.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
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.
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.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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.
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.
Other: Observation
Other: Observation
Other: Observation
Other: Observation
Other: Observation
Other: Observation
Questionnaires, Clinical Scores, Biomaterial Sampling
Total and specific IgE and IgG levels
Will be put into clinical context with a questionnaire about food intake and allergic symptoms
Time frame: Day 0
Questionnaire about food intake
Information about how often the participants are consuming certain foods
Time frame: Day 0
Questionnaire about the presence of allergic symptoms
Information about symptoms upon allergen exposure
Time frame: Day 0
Description of clinical appearance of AD on black vs. white skin
Appearance, severity and distribution of the skin lesions
Time frame: Day 0
Stigmata of atopic constitution
The presence of atopic stigmata will be clinically assessed by study doctors by using a structured form
Time frame: Day 0
Skin microbiome (microbial colonization of the skin)
* Skin swabs will be taken at the following localizations: Antecubital crease, glabella, vertex, dorsal neck and lesional skin site * Analysis by isolation and sequencing of the microbial DNA
Time frame: Day 0
Change of the skin microbiome components over time
* Skin swabs will be taken at the following localizations: Antecubital crease, glabella, vertex, dorsal neck and lesional skin site * Analysis by isolation and sequencing of the microbial DNA
Time frame: Day 0 and day 28
Nasal microbiome (microbial colonization of the nasal vestibule)
* A nasal swab will be taken upon day 0 * It will be used to grow cultures and analyse the microbial DNA
Time frame: Day 0
Gut microbiome (microbial colonization of the gut)
Analysis by isolation and sequencing of the microbial DNA
Time frame: Day 0
Cutaneous immune response
* Skin biopsies are optional and will be taken from lesional and non-lesional skin * They will be analyzed by imaging mass cytometry and spatial gene expression analysis
Time frame: Day 0
Systemic immune response
Olink multiplex proteomics analyses and characterization of PBMCs will be performed
Time frame: Day 0
Change of molecular and cellular mediators of the systemic immune response over time
Olink multiplex proteomics analyses and characterization of PBMCs will be performed
Time frame: Day 0 and day 28
Barrier dysfunction of the skin (Imaging Mass Cytometry)
Skin biopsies are optional and will be taken from lesional and non-lesional skin
Time frame: Day 0
Barrier dysfunction of the skin (Spatial gene expression analysis)
Skin biopsies are optional and will be taken from lesional and non-lesional skin
Time frame: Day 0
Family history of atopic diseases
\- Assessment of whether parents, siblings or other family members suffer from atopic diseases
Time frame: Day 0
Questionnaire about current treatments
Participants will be asked about their intake of medication and their use of topical treatments
Time frame: Day 0
Life Quality measured by Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI)
* Min. 0, max. 30 points * Higher scores indicate a lower quality of life
Time frame: Day 0
Plan to share: No
Ran from Mar 2022 to primary completion in Mar 2025, 35 months.
Of 96 non-industry observational studies under Dermatitis, Atopic, half reached primary completion within 61 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 19. This study's 35 months is below that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 170 studies reached it within 35 months; a quarter within 17.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
This study is completed, as verified in Jul 2025. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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