Objective Assessment of Topical Anti-Inflammatory Drug Activity on Experimentally Induced Nickel Contact Dermatitis: Comparison between Visual Scoring, Colorimetry, Laser Doppler Velocimetry and Transepidermal Water Loss

Abstract

Four topical anti-inflammatory drugs were investigated for their effect on allergic contact dermatitis. Nickel dermatitis was chosen for its high incidence in European healthy volunteers. Experimental lesions were treated twice daily with two steroids, two non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and a blank base for 4.5 days without occlusion. The influence of treatments was assessed by daily visual grading and one site was left untreated for comparison over the same period. To quantify drug activities objectively, skin colour (colorimetry), skin blood flow (laser Doppler velocimetry) and transepidermal water loss (evaporimetry) were measured before drugs were first applied, then 6 h after the last application. As expected, only Dermoval cream significantly improved the spontaneous clinical evolution in comparison with the other creams (Hydrocortisone Astier à 1 %, Parfenac, indomethacin 2.5% and Skinbase) and the untreated site. Colorimetric parameter a* (redness) and L* (luminance) showed more differences between treatments than the other criteria and a close relationship was obtained between these two parameters and skin blood flow, all three being highly correlated to visual grading. Transepidermal water loss appeared less related to clinical improvement but this parameter could prove helpful for detecting compounds which could be irritant to diseased skin.

Measurement of Color Parameters of Psoriatic Plaques by Narrow-Band Reflectance Spectrophotometry and Tristimulus Colorimetry

“…They are quite convenient for a quick mea surement of the skin color by their portability and the easiness to operate. They have been applied successfully to the evaluation of the patch test reaction [6][7][8], UV-induced erythe ma and/or tanning [9][10][11], and topical anti inflammatory drug activity [12]. We tried to apply them to the numerical expression of the lesional color of psoriasis in this study.…”

An overview of the efficacy of topical corticosteroids in experimental human nickel contact dermatitis

“…It is important to evaluate corticosteroid efficacy by comparing to vehicle as well as to untreated skin. The corticosteroid vehicle potentially affects the allergic response of the skin, as measured via bioengineering instrumentation and visual score (7,38). Only Queille-Roussel et al (7) compared to vehicle control and involved skin, and found a significant corticosteroid reduction in allergic response.…”

Evaluation de la barrière cutanée chez l'homme par deux méthodes non‐invasives (vélocimétrie laser Doppler et chromamétrie)

“…Ainsi de nombreux auteurs ont CtudiC des substances trythtmatoghes appliqutes par voie topique en corrClant ces deux mCthodes ii la perte * To whom correspondence should be addressed. 0142-5463 0 1993 International Journal of Cosmetic Science insensible en eau et B la cotation visuelle [3,41. En chromamCtrie, dans le systame de coordonndes Louobo recommand6 par la Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage, les variations du parambtre a' (rougeur) ont CtC CtudiCes pour mettre en Cvidence 1'Crythbme induit lors d'expositions aux UV B [5].…”