Altered Epidermal Permeability Barrier Function in the Uninvolved Skin Supports a Role of Epidermal Dysfunction in the Pathogenesis of Occupational Hand Eczema

Abstract

Although a compromised epidermal permeability barrier can contribute to the development of contact dermatitis, whether subjects with hand eczema display abnormalities in baseline epidermal permeability barrier function in their uninvolved skin remains unknown. The aim of the present study was to assess epidermal permeability barrier function in subjects with and without hand eczema in clothing manufacturers. Upon approval by the institutional review board, volunteers were recruited from clothing manufacturers in Guangzhou City, China. An 11-item questionnaire was used to collect general data from the volunteers. The diagnoses of self-proclaimed hand eczema were further confirmed by a dermatologist. Epidermal biophysical properties, including transepidermal water loss (TEWL) rates, stratum corneum hydration and skin surface pH were measured on the flexural surface of the left forearm in all volunteers. Epidermal biophysical properties were compared among cohorts of subjects with active hand eczema, a prior history of hand eczema and without any history of hand eczema. A total of 650

Hand Eczema in Nurses in COVID-19 Treatment Room: Frequency of Handwashing, Hand Sanitizer, Moisturizer, and Duration of Latex Gloves Use

“…This is possibly due to an increase in the skin pH of health workers' hands due to the longterm use of latex-based latex gloves. 21 However, Wang et al stated that an increase in pH was more common in occupational hand eczema (p < 0.01) 21,22 , though our results showed that the pH value was not correlated with the incidence of hand eczema (r=0.042, p=0.696). The correlation between skin pH values and the incidence of hand eczema, which was not significant, could be caused by the frequent use of hand sanitizer or hand rub on health workers who contain alcohol.…”

Drugs for the Treatment of Chronic Hand Eczema: Successes and Key Challenges

“…15,21,24 Atopic hand eczema, like other atopic conditions, presents with a Th2/ Th22 immune profile, in conjunction with endogenous factors such as tight junction defects and an increase in transepidermal water loss (TEWL), thereby compromising the integrity of the epidermal barrier. 1,[25][26][27][28] Atopic hand eczema lesions are characterized by increased Th2 activation and production of IL-4, IL-13, IL-31, CCL17, CCL18, and CCL22, and T-cell activation that produces IL-22. IL-4/IL-13 also induce increased IgE synthesis, which characterizes many CHE cases.…”

Vesicular hand eczema transcriptome analysis provides insights into its pathophysiology

“… 16 In the NL skin transcriptome of VHE, no significant differences with healthy skin were found, which is striking as it has been hypothesized that a primary dysfunctional epidermal barrier is one of the key pathways for developing HE. 27 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62…”

“…16 In the NL skin transcriptome of VHE, no significant differences with healthy skin were found, which is striking as it has been hypothesized that a primary dysfunctional epidermal barrier is one of the key pathways for developing HE. 27,[59][60][61][62] One of the limitations of our study is the small sample size of ten HE patients vs. ten healthy controls. Secondly, it is important to note that we used stringent criteria for the RNA-seq data as presented in Figure 2 (fold-change ≤−3 or ≥3, >500 average normalized counts).…”