Evaluation of the Antibacterial Activity of a Special Silk Textile in the Treatment of Atopic Dermatitis

Abstract

Background: Increased skin Staphylococcus aureus colonization is frequently found in atopic patients. The reduction of local overinfection decreases skin inflammation and improves the flares. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of the antimicrobial activity of a silk fabric (MICROAIR DermaSilk®) coated with alkoxysilane quaternary ammonium with durable antimicrobial properties (AEGIS AEM 5572/5) in children affected by atopic dermatitis (AD). Methods: Sixteen children, 12 affected by AD with symmetric eczematous lesions on the antecubital areas and 4 without any cutaneous disease, used, for 7 days, tubular arm covers made of this special silk fabric but only one of each pair was coated with AEGIS AEM 5572/5. Microbiological examinations were done with standard cultural swabs and by means of quantification of bacterial agents using agar plates at baseline, after 1 h and after 7 days. Results: After 7 days a significant improvement in the mean value of the ‘local SCORAD’ index was observed in both the covered areas compared to the values obtained at baseline. The reduction in the mean number of colony forming units per square centimetre was similar in both areas. Conclusions: Although this special silk fabric seems to be able to improve skin lesions in AD, we were unable to demonstrate that such silk fabrics coated with AEGIS AEM 5572/5 have an antibacterial activity in vivo, as shown in vitro.

A Randomized Double-Blind Study to Investigate the Clinical Efficacy of Adding a Non-Migrating Antimicrobial to a Special Silk Fabric in the Treatment of Atopic Dermatitis

“…A significant reduction of the mean local SCORAD index of the DermaSilk-covered arm was observed in comparison with cotton- and AEGIS-free-silk-covered arms. Although AEGIS AEM 5772/5 has antibacterial properties in vitro [10], recent studies performed by Ricci et al [15, 16 ]were unable to demonstrate antimicrobial activity in vivo, though demonstrating superior efficacy in AD compared with cotton. Ricci et al [15] considered a quantitative microbiological improvement significant if the number of colony-forming units of S. aureus per square centimetre was reduced at least to half of the baseline value; they observed a reduction of S. aureus colonies, but it was not significant.…”

“…Although AEGIS AEM 5772/5 has antibacterial properties in vitro [10], recent studies performed by Ricci et al [15, 16 ]were unable to demonstrate antimicrobial activity in vivo, though demonstrating superior efficacy in AD compared with cotton. Ricci et al [15] considered a quantitative microbiological improvement significant if the number of colony-forming units of S. aureus per square centimetre was reduced at least to half of the baseline value; they observed a reduction of S. aureus colonies, but it was not significant. They suggested that the lack of efficacy in vivo was due to the strong adhesion of AEGIS AEM 5572/5 to the fibres preventing in this way its penetration into the skin and sufficient contact with bacteria to kill them.…”

The Influence of a Non-Occlusive Bi-Layer Composite Membrane on Skin Barrier Properties

“…Although wearing clothing to protect one's skin is not a new practice, there are limited investigations on physiological responses, such as stratum corneum hydration, TEWL, sweat loss, surface ion concentration or antimicrobial properties when the skin gets in contact with a fabric [1][2][3][9][10][11] .…”

Antimicrobial Silk Clothing in the Treatment of Atopic Dermatitis Proves Comparable to Topical Corticosteroid Treatment

“…The skin of patients with AD is often colonized with Staphylococcus aureus and the quantity of S. aureus correlates with eczema severity [2,3,4,5,6,7]. Consequently, several studies demonstrated that reduction of S. aureus either by antibiotics, antiseptics or by anti-inflammatory treatment (e.g.…”

“…Such a commercially available fabric (DermaSilk®) has antibacterial properties thanks to treatment with AEGIS AEM 5772/5, a covalently linked water-resistant antimicrobial finish for textiles based on the compound alkoxysilane quaternary ammonium [17]. In a recent trial, patients wearing DermaSilk showed significant clinical improvement of AD when compared to patients wearing cotton clothes [5, 18]. The aim of our study was to compare the effectiveness of DermaSilk with that of standard care consisting of the application of a modern topical corticosteroid and the wearing of cotton clothes in children suffering from moderate AD.…”