Eczema phenotypes

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Phenotyping eczema in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC)

  • IRAS ID

    227443

  • Contact name

    Nicholas J Timpson

  • Contact email

    n.j.timpson@bristol.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    University of Bristol

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    1 years, 11 months, 31 days

  • Research summary

    Eczema affects 20% of children and up to 10% of adults (5.8 million people in England). Eczema is a challenging disease characterised by itch, sleeplessness, discomfort, stress and stigma for sufferers.

    Eczema has lots of different presentations and disease courses. We think this is because there are different types of eczema. Current divisions into allergic (atopic) and non-allergic eczema are too simplistic. Understanding the different types of eczema will help us understand causes and may help us treat eczema better in future.

    Data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children will be used to identify a new classification of eczema. We will do this by combining clinical information, genetics and allergy information. As well as using existing data collected in ALSPAC, we will review a subset of participants: (i) individuals with ongoing eczema (age 24-25) (minimum n=200) and (ii) people with transient early childhood eczema, resolved by age 7 (minimum n=50). A group of individuals with no eczema will also be identified (n=50).

    We will ask existing ALSPAC participants to participate and obtain informed consent. Participants will complete a questionnaire about their health with a research nurse. The nurse will then examine their skin, take a skin swab, blood tests and a tiny skin biopsy (2mm) from a covered site. These procedures will take about 90 minutes.

    All of this information will be used to create a new classification for eczema.

  • REC name

    South West - Frenchay Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    17/SW/0203

  • Date of REC Opinion

    23 Oct 2017

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion