A preliminary study for assessing the feasibility of sebum sampling for monitoring human exposure to environmental chemicals following inadvertent or malicious release

Wakefield, James C.; Kaur, Kalwinder; Chilcott, Robert P.

doi:10.1016/j.tox.2008.07.023

Cited by 2 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…An in vitro study using artificial sebum deposited on pig skin has demonstrated that sebum can absorb and retain vapours of organic chemicals after topical exposure . This property of sebum could potentially be exploited to utilize sebum as bio‐monitoring matrix to identify human exposure to harmful chemicals.…”

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confidence: 99%

Effect of ethnicity, gender and age on the amount and composition of residual skin surface components derived from sebum, sweat and epidermal lipids

Shetage

Traynor

Brown

et al. 2013

Skin Research and Technology

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Background/purposeThe superficial layer on the skin surface, known as the acid mantle, comprises a mixture of sebum, sweat, corneocyte debris and constituents of natural moisturizing factor. Thus, the phrase ‘residual skin surface components’ (RSSC) is an appropriate term for the mixture of substances recovered from the skin surface. There is no general agreement about the effects of ethnicity, gender and age on RSSC. The aim of this human volunteer study was to evaluate RSSC in relation to ethnicity, gender and age. A suitable acquisition medium for RSSC collection was identified and samples of RSSC were subsequently analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gravimetry.MethodsA total of 315 volunteers participated in the study from a range of self-declared ethnic backgrounds. Six acquisition media were compared to determine the most suitable media for RSSC collection. The effect of age, gender and ethnicity on RSSC collection was evaluated by gravimetric analysis while GC-MS was used to determine the composition of RSSC.ResultsOf the six candidate materials assessed, cigarette paper provided the most practical and reproducible sample acquisition medium. There was no significant difference in the amount of RSSC collected when based on gender and ethnicity and no significant correlation between RSSC recovery and age. Up to 49 compounds were detected from human RSSC when analysed by GC-MS.ConclusionsThe results of the present study suggest that RSSC can be effectively collected using cigarette paper and analysed by GC-MS. Ethnicity, gender and age had no significant impact on the quantity of RSSC recovered from the skin surface.

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confidence: 99%

Effect of ethnicity, gender and age on the amount and composition of residual skin surface components derived from sebum, sweat and epidermal lipids

Shetage

Traynor

Brown

et al. 2013

Skin Research and Technology

Self Cite

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“…An in vitro study using artificial sebum on pig skin confirmed that sebum could theoretically trap organic chemical vapours in vivo after topical exposure (Wakefield et al, 2008 ). Additionally, Wakefield et al .…”

Section: Applicationsmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…Additionally, Wakefield et al . have demonstrated through an in vitro study using artificial sebum that sebum uptakes both benzene and methanol upon vapour exposure (Wakefield et al, 2008 ). This is suspected to occur through the preferential partitioning of lipophilic environmental chemicals from nature into sebum and therefore, sebum could potentially be used as a human biomonitoring matrix.…”

Section: Applicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

No skin off your back: the sampling and extraction of sebum for metabolomics

et al. 2023

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Introduction Sebum-based metabolomics (a subset of “sebomics”) is a developing field that involves the sampling, identification, and quantification of metabolites found in human sebum. Sebum is a lipid-rich oily substance secreted by the sebaceous glands onto the skin surface for skin homeostasis, lubrication, thermoregulation, and environmental protection. Interest in sebomics has grown over the last decade due to its potential for rapid analysis following non-invasive sampling for a range of clinical and environmental applications. Objectives To provide an overview of various sebum sampling techniques with their associated challenges. To evaluate applications of sebum for clinical research, drug monitoring, and human biomonitoring. To provide a commentary of the opportunities of using sebum as a diagnostic biofluid in the future. Methods Bibliometric analyses of selected keywords regarding skin surface analysis using the Scopus search engine from 1960 to 2022 was performed on 12th January 2023. The published literature was compartmentalised based on what the work contributed to in the following areas: the understanding about sebum, its composition, the analytical technologies used, or the purpose of use of sebum. The findings were summarised in this review. Results Historically, about 15 methods of sampling have been used for sebum collection. The sample preparation approaches vary depending on the analytes of interest and are summarised. The use of sebum is not limited to just skin diseases or drug monitoring but also demonstrated for other systemic disease. Most of the work carried out for untargeted analysis of metabolites associated with sebum has been in the recent two decades. Conclusion Sebum has a huge potential beyond skin research and understanding how one’s physiological state affects or reflects on the skin metabolome via the sebaceous glands itself or by interactions with sebaceous secretion, will open doors for simpler biomonitoring. Sebum acts as a sink to environmental metabolites and has applications awaiting to be explored, such as biosecurity, cross-border migration, localised exposure to harmful substances, and high-throughput population screening. These applications will be possible with rapid advances in volatile headspace and lipidomics method development as well as the ability of the metabolomics community to annotate unknown species better. A key issue with skin surface analysis that remains unsolved is attributing the source of the metabolites found on the skin surface before meaningful biological interpretation.

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A preliminary study for assessing the feasibility of sebum sampling for monitoring human exposure to environmental chemicals following inadvertent or malicious release

Cited by 2 publications

References 1 publication

Effect of ethnicity, gender and age on the amount and composition of residual skin surface components derived from sebum, sweat and epidermal lipids

Effect of ethnicity, gender and age on the amount and composition of residual skin surface components derived from sebum, sweat and epidermal lipids

No skin off your back: the sampling and extraction of sebum for metabolomics

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