Late-phase response to food in atopic dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis may be initiated by contact between ingested antigens and cutaneous mast cells. The IgE-mediated reaction is sustained into a late phase by a number of biochemical events including chemotaxis of eosinophils and their release of cytolytic major basic protein, and possibly the secretion of histamine-releasing factor, a nonantigenic activator of basophils and mast cells.