engleski

Atopic dermatitis confers enhanced skin responses to experimentally-induced tandem repeated irritation in vivo

The skin response to experimentally-induced in vivo tandem repeated irritation in atopic dermatitis has not been studied so far. We investigated the barrier function, levels of primary cytokines and natural moisturising factor (NMF) after repeated single and tandem exposure to surfactants (0.5% sodium lauryl sulfate ; SLS) and organic acids (2.0% acetic acid ; AcA) in atopic dermatitis patients and healthy controls genotyped for the prevalent European filaggrin gene (FLG) loss-of-function mutations. The irritant response was monitored by visual scoring, measurements of transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and erythema up to 96 h when tape strips for NMF and cytokine analysis were collected from the irritant-exposed and non-exposed (control) skin sites. Compared to the control group, repeated single (AcA/AcA and SLS/SLS) and tandem (AcA/SLS and SLS/AcA) irritation in the atopic patients resulted in greater visual score and erythema (a*-value). In atopic skin, the TEWL increase compared to baseline (ΔTEWL) was more pronounced at all exposed fields and assessment time points. Furthermore, ΔTEWL after 96-hour exposure to AcA/SLS, SLS/AcA and SLS/SLS in the atopic group was significantly higher compared to the controls. In both groups, exposure to AcA/SLS, SLS/AcA and SLS/SLS, but not to AcA/AcA, resulted in significantly decreased stratum corneum levels of NMF, IL-1α and IL-1RA when compared to non-exposed skin. Within the atopic dermatitis group, no significant differences in the barrier function parameters and reduction of NMF levels between the FLG mutation carriers and non-carriers were found. Our results indicate that atopic dermatitis confers enhanced responses to cumulative skin barrier damage by multiple weak irritant stimuli, irrespective of FLG genotype. The reduced NMF levels after tandem irritation may be further relevant for development of chronic irritant contact dermatitis

stratum corneum; irritation; atopic dermatitis

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