Basal electrical impedance in relation to sodium lauryl sulphate-induced skin reactions – a comparison of patients with eczema and healthy controls

Background: Identification of subjects at risk for contact dermatitis by screening tests is desirable in order to adjust the preventive measures to individual skin susceptibility. The present study aimed to examine the effects of basic physiological features, such as baseline electrical imped-ance (...
Ausführliche Beschreibung

Background: Identification of subjects at risk for contact dermatitis by screening tests is desirable in order to adjust the preventive measures to individual skin susceptibility. The present study aimed to examine the effects of basic physiological features, such as baseline electrical imped-ance (IMP) and transepidermal water loss (TEWL), on reactivity to sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS).Methods: On the basis of two previous studies, we re-evaluated the experimental irritant skin reactions (50 μL of 2% SLS in large Finn Chambers for 24 h) on the volar forearms of 29 patients with eczema and 19 healthy controls.Results: We found definite differences in the baseline values of IMP, between the patients and the controls. Moreover, patients with eczema showed higher TEWL and lower MIX values on day 3 after exposure to SLS, which may indicate differences in SLS reactivity. After the study, the biophysical parameters of the eczema patients did not return to baseline, which suggests that their skin heals more slowly than that of normal subjects.Conclusions: Our findings indicate that the IMP technique may help to ‘detect’ chemically vulnerable skin. However, more studies are needed to determine the value of the basal electrical impedance parameters in assessing the risk of developing irritant contact dermatitis. Ausführliche Beschreibung