Researchers at the Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany, and the FAZ-Floridsdorf Allergy Center in Vienna, Austria, evaluated the role of ingested histamine as an aggravating factor in atopic dermatitis. Thirty-six out of the 58 patients with atopic dermatitis enrolled in the trial completed the initial phase of the study which consisted of a histamine-free diet for 1 week. Participants then entered a double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge phase in which provocation tests with histamine-hydrochloride or placebo were performed. SCORAD scores significantly improved in 12 patients after 1 week of diet, with a median decline of -10%. Challenge tests resulted in an aggravation of skin symptoms and eczema in patients with atopic dermatitis. In addition, despite overall diamine ...