Heavy Cigarette Smokers in a Chinese Population Display a Compromised Permeability Barrier

Abstract

Cigarette smoking is associated with various cutaneous disorders with defective permeability. Yet, whether cigarette smoking influences epidermal permeability barrier function is largely unknown. Here, we measured skin biophysical properties, including permeability barrier homeostasis, stratum corneum (SC) integrity, SC hydration, skin surface pH, and skin melanin/erythema index, in cigarette smokers. A total of 99 male volunteers were enrolled in this study. Smokers were categorized as light-to-moderate (<20 cigarettes/day) or heavy smokers (≥20 cigarettes/day). An MPA5 was used to measure SC hydration and skin melanin/erythema index on the dorsal hand, forehead, and cheek. Basal transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and barrier recovery rates were assessed on the forearm. A Skin-pH-Meter pH900 was used to measure skin surface pH. Our results showed that heavy cigarette smokers exhibited delayed barrier recovery after acute abrogation (1.02% ± 13.06 versus 16.48% ± 6.07), and barrier recovery rates correlated negatively with the number of daily cigarettes consumption (p = 0.0087). Changes in biophysical parameters in cigarette smokers varied with body sites. In conclusion, heavy cigarette smokers display compromised permeability barrier homeostasis, which could contribute, in part, to the increased prevalence of certain cutaneous disorders characterized by defective permeability. Thus, improving epidermal permeability barrier should be considered for heavy cigarette smokers.

Skin condition and its relationship to systemic inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

“…Authors of this research attribute a high skin hydration on sebaceous gland-enriched sites (eg, forehead) of smokers to increased sebum production induced by nicotine. 39 In the same study, authors showed lower stratum corneum hydration on sebum-impoverished site (dorsal hand) of heavy smokers (≥20 cigarettes a day). Variations of measurements of skin hydration in our study and the study performed in Chinese population may also be due to the site of assessment and ethnicity.…”

“… 34 However, considering forearm as a sebum-impoverished site, our findings seem to be concordant with those from Chinese population study. 39 …”

The impact of stress on epidermal barrier function: an evidence‐based review

“…Smoking cessation appears to be psychologically challenging while negatively impacting barrier recovery. Additionally, heavy, but perhaps not light‐to‐moderate, cigarette smoking can severely compromise epidermal barrier homeostasis …”

A Genome-Wide Association Study of Basal Transepidermal Water Loss Finds that Variants at 9q34.3 Are Associated with Skin Barrier Function

“…Likewise, it has successfully been used to monitor the effects of different treatments on skin barrier function recovery (Sextius et al, 2010). Although TEWL has been reported to be affected by environmental factors such as temperature, seasonal variation, sun exposure, and smoking (Li et al, 2014;Liu et al, 2010;Xin et al, 2016), the presence of significant ethnic differences in stratum corneum permeability suggests that genetics also plays a role in epidermal barrier function (Kompaore and Tsuruta, 1993). However, to our knowledge, no genomic study has been conducted to explore the genetics of barrier function of healthy human skin.…”