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Notes: Objective The aim of our study was to conduct a prospective investigation into the potential association of cord blood proliferative response and cytokine production in response to various stimuli on the development of atopic dermatitis (AD) at the age of 3 years.Methods Cord blood mononuclear cells (CBMC) from 40 healthy term neonates were isolated. The proliferative response of CBMC stimulated with IL-2, betalactoglobulin (BLG) and house dust mite allergen (Der p 1) was assessed by liquid scintillation counting and the stimulation index (SI) was calculated. The cytokines interleukin (IL-)13, interferon (IFN-)γ, IL-10 and IL-18 in the cell culture supernatants in response to phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), Der p 1 and BLG were measured using the ELISA technique. After 3 years, symptoms of AD were obtained with a questionnaire completed by the parents.Results We observed significantly higher IL-13 levels in response to PHA in children who subsequently developed symptoms of AD (S: median, 291 pg/mL) compared with asymptomatic children (No-S: 149 pg/mL; P=0.021, Wilcoxon test). Similarly, in response to Der p 1 significantly higher IL-13 levels were observed in symptomatic children (S: 168.6; No-S: 61.6 pg/mL; P=0.0084). In response to BLG, IL-13 levels were 287.2 (S) and 123.6 pg/mL (No-S; P=0.19). No significant differences were found when comparing the IFN-γ levels in CBMC cultures stimulated with PHA (S: 10.2; No-S: 17.6 IU/L; P=0.78), Der p 1 (S: 307.6; No-S: 616.2 IU/L; P=0.2) or BLG (S: 18; No-S: 28.5 IU/L; P=0.83; 〈link href="#f2"〉Fig. 2). The IL-18 and IL-10 levels and the stimulation index in response to IL-2, BLG and Der p 1 showed no significant difference between children who subsequently developed symptoms of AD and asymptomatic children.〈figure xml:id="f2"〉2〈mediaResource alt="image" href="urn:x-wiley:09547894:CEA1789:CEA_1789_f2"/〉 Release of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) in response to phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), house dust mite allergen (Der p 1) and betalactoglobulin (BLG) in children who developed symptoms of atopic dermatitis at the age of 3 years (‘symptomatic’) and asymptomatic children. The median value and the 5th and 95th percentile are presented. Differences between the groups were calculated with the Wilcoxon test and P-values are reported.Conclusion Our data suggest that enhanced IL-13 levels at birth are associated with the subsequent development of atopic symptoms at the age of 3 years.