Subjective Evaluation Using Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure of the Clinical Effects of 1-Kestose on Atopic Dermatitis in Children: A Pilot Study

Several objective evaluation methods are used to evaluate treatment outcomes in atopic dermatitis clinical trials. We previously demonstrated the clinical efficacy of 1-kestose, the smallest fructooligosaccharide, in the treatment of atopic dermatitis in infants using an objective evaluation method. The utility of the Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure, in which patients themselves or their guardians evaluate the pathophysiology of atopic dermatitis, has recently been reported. In the present study, we used the Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure to confirm the efficiency of the clinical effect of 1-kestose on pediatric atopic dermatitis. An open pilot study was conducted on 22 children with atopic dermatitis. Subjects were orally administered 2 g of 1-kestose daily for 12 weeks and the symptoms of atopic dermatitis were evaluated using the Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure. The median total score of the Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure was significantly decreased by the 1-kestose treatment from 14.2 to 7.7 (P < 0.001). There was no correlation between decreases in the total score of the Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure and the age of subjects. Although the present study was a small pilot study, results suggest that 1-kestose may have attenuated atopic dermatitis to a degree that the patients themselves could recognize.