The Skin Response to Dimethyl Sulfoxide in Normal Persons and Atopy Patients

Kim, Gyeong Il; Park, Chun Wook; Lee, Cheol Heon

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) acts as an urticariogenic agent or a primary irritant, and a DMSO skin test which measures responses in skin after exposure for 5 minutes could be a simple and easy method in evaluating cutaneous irritation . Atopy is a hereditary allergy (such as atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, asthma, or hay fever) characterized by symptoms produced upon exposure to the exciting antigen without inoculation . Some atopy such as atopic dermatitis are more likely to be susceptible to various irritants and have defects in cutaneous barrier function.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to compare the differences of cutaneous responses between atopy patients (atopic dermatitis and respiratory atopy) and normal persons after skin irritation with several concentrations of DMSO.
METHODS
We used DMSO concentrations of 90%, 95% and 100%, and evaluated the skin responses such as visual scores by wheal, transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and erythema index (E-index) after DMSO testing on the forearm skin of atopic dermatitis patients, respiratory atopy patients and normal healthy persons.
RESULTS
1. The TEWL values were increased as DMSO concentrations increased, and both baseline and postirritation TEWL values of the lesional area in atopic dermatitis patients were higher than in normal areas of atopic dermatitis patients and in respiratory atopy patients and in normal persons. There were no maj or differences in baseline and postirritation TEWL values among the last three groups. 2. Both baseline and postirritation E-index of the lesional area in atopic dermatitis patients were higher than in normal areas of atopic dermatitis patients and in respiratory atopy patients and in normal persons . There were no significant increases in E-index after irritation with 90% and 95% DMSO of normal areas of atopic dermatitis patients and 95%, 100% DMSO of normal persons. Also, there were no differences in baseline and postirritation E-index among normal areas of atopic dermatitis patients and respiratory atopy patients and normal persons . 3.The visual scores were increased as DMSO concentrations increased. The visual scores of the lesional area in atopic dermatitis patients were likely to increase as DMSO concentrations increased than in normal areas of atopic dermatitis patients and in respiratory atopy patients and in normal persons. There were no differences in visual scores among normal areas of atopic dermatitis patients and respiratory atopy patients and normal persons.
CONCLUSION
The lesional skin of atopic dermatitis is more susceptible to DMSO irritation. However, there were no significant differences in susceptibility to DMSO irritation between the normal skin of atopic dermatitis, the skin of respiratory atopy and the control group.