Ann Dermatol.  2014 Feb;26(1):35-42. 10.5021/ad.2014.26.1.35.

Induction of a Hardening Phenomenon and Quantitative Changes of Ceramides in Stratum Corneum

• Park SY
• Kim JH
• Cho SI
• Kim KI
• Cho HJ
• Park CW
• Lee CH
• Kim HO

• KMID: 2265695
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5021/ad.2014.26.1.35

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Hardening phenomenon of human skin after repeated exposure to the irritants is well-known, but the precise mechanism remains elusive.
OBJECTIVE
To modify the previous experimental model of hardening phenomenon by repeated applications of two different concentrations of sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) solutions to Korean healthy volunteers and to investigate the quantitative changes of ceramides in stratum corneum before and after chronic repeated irritation.
METHODS
Eight hundred microliters of distilled water containing 0.1% and 2% SLS was applied for 10 minutes on the forearm of 41 healthy volunteers for 3 weeks. After an intervening 3-week rest, 24-hour patch tests with 1% SLS were conducted on previously irritated sites. Transepidermal water loss (TEWL), erythema index and quantity of ceramide were measured in the stratum corneum before and after irritation.
RESULTS
TEWL values on the sites preirritated with 2% SLS were lower than those with 0.1% SLS. Hardening phenomenon occurred in 24 volunteers at day 44. The changes in ceramide levels were not significantly higher in the hardened skin than in the non-hardened skin.
CONCLUSION
Repetitive stimulation with a higher concentration of SLS can more easily trigger skin hardening.

Keyword

Ceramides; Hardening phenomenon; Irritation contact dermatitis

MeSH Terms

Ceramides*
Erythema
Forearm
Healthy Volunteers
Humans
Irritants
Models, Theoretical
Patch Tests
Skin
Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate
Volunteers
Water
Ceramides
Irritants
Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate
Water

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Pattern of the eight, 20-mm ring marks on the left and right forearms.

• 

  Fig. 2 Schematic illustration of the study design. During the first 3 weeks, repetitive applications of irritants (I sites L1 and R1 for the controls, L2 and R2 for distilled water sites, L3 and R3 for 0.1% sodium lauryl sulfate [SLS], sites L4 and R4 for 2% SLS) on both forearms of the volunteers were performed 5 times per week and erythema index (E) and TEWL (T) were measured before each application (Phase 1). After an intervening 3-weeks, the 24-hour patch test with 1% SLS was performed on sites R2, R3 and R4 and skin samples were obtained from sites L1, L2, L3 and L4. E and T were measured before and after the patch test (7-1 to 7-5) (Phase 2).

• 

  Fig. 3 Examples of high performance liquid chromatography chromatograms of extracted stratum corneum lipid samples of sites L1~L4 sites of one person (A). Examples of tandem mass spectrometry patterns taken from the left fourth chromatogram. One, 2 and 3 show ceramide mass spectrometry pattern (B). RT: retention time, MS: mass spectrometry.

• 

  Fig. 4 Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) (g/m2/h) (A) and erythema index (E-index) (B) on the sites stimulated with distilled water (DW), 0.1% sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and 2% SLS (Phase 1). The differences in TEWL and E-index between test materials were not statistically significant (p<0.05).

• 

  Fig. 5 Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) (g/m2/h) (A) and erythema index (E-index) (B) on the sites exposed to the irritants and those not exposed to the irritants sites after challenging with the 24-hour patch test with 1% sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) (Phase 2). The 24-hour patch test was performed on days 43 and 44. The increase in TEWL after removing the patch at day 44 was higher on the sites exposed to distilled water (DW) than on those exposed to the two concentrations of SLS (p<0.05). The increase E-index after the 24-hour patch test was lower on the sites exposed to 2% SLS than on those exposed to 0.1% SLS or distilled water. However, the differences were not statistically significant.

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