Thymic stromal lymphopoietin gene rs2289276 polymorphism and serum total immunoglobulin E in a sample of Egyptian patients with atopic dermatitis: a hospital based study

Abstract

Background Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, itchy inflammatory skin disease with a complex pathogenesis involving genetic and immune factors. The thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) gene is contributing T-helper 2 inflammation, but the role of its polymorphisms, like rs2289276, in AD susceptibility and severity, particularly in Egyptian patients, remains unclear, while serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) is a well establish marker for atopic conditions. Objective To evaluate of the role of TSLP gene rs2289276 polymorphism and its correlation with serum level of total IgE in AD in a sample of Egyptian patients. Patients and methods This cross-sectional comparative study included 100 Egyptian participants: 50 with moderate-to-severe AD and 50 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Genotyping for the TSLP rs2289276 (C/T) polymorphism was performed using PCR-RFLP. Disease severity was assessed using the Severity Scoring of Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) index. Serum levels of total IgE were also measured. Results The distribution of TSLP rs2289276 genotypes (CC, CT, TT) and alleles did not differ significantly between AD patients and controls. However, serum total IgE was markedly higher in the AD group and showed a significant positive correlation with SCORAD scores. Within the AD group, the CT genotype was associated with the highest mean SCORAD score and IgE levels. Conclusion In this Egyptian sample, the TSLP rs2289276 polymorphism was not neither a significant risk factor or protector for AD. The strong association between elevated serum IgE and disease severity confirms IgE role as a critical biomarker for clinical assessment. Further investigation of the TSLP pathway and other genetic variants is warranted.