Subject(s)
Adrenal Cortex Hormones/immunology , Dermatitis, Allergic Contact/immunology , Drug Eruptions/immunology , Immune Tolerance , Skin/immunology , Adrenal Cortex Hormones/administration & dosage , Adrenal Cortex Hormones/adverse effects , Aged , Dermatitis, Allergic Contact/diagnosis , Dermatitis, Allergic Contact/etiology , Drug Administration Routes , Drug Eruptions/diagnosis , False Negative Reactions , Humans , Male , Patch TestsSubject(s)
Asteraceae/adverse effects , Dermatitis, Allergic Contact/etiology , Dermatitis, Occupational/etiology , Hand Dermatoses/etiology , Dermatitis, Allergic Contact/diagnosis , Dermatitis, Occupational/diagnosis , Hand Dermatoses/diagnosis , Humans , Lactones/adverse effects , Male , Middle Aged , Patch Tests , Sesquiterpenes/adverse effectsABSTRACT
Wound dressings' occlusivity is directly correlated with water permeability and may affect wound healing. This study evaluated the wound dressings' occlusivity in comparison to their ability to retain water in an in vitro human skin model. Human cadaver skin was stretched over fully filled vials of physiological saline and banded. After 30 minutes, during which equilibrium was established, baseline values for transepidermal water loss (TEWL) were measured. Then an occlusive film was placed over one skin, a semi-occlusive dressing over another and finally 100 microL of a 5% copolymer solution over the third piece of skin, which was then allowed to aerate until it formed a thin membrane. One skin sample was left fully exposed to the air, serving as a blank control. After 30 minutes post-treatment, the TEWL was re-measured for all the samples. TEWL values showed the occlusive film was the most water-impermeable, allowing only a mean of 1.6 g/m(2) hours of water to pass through and thus also showing a significant difference (p < 0.05) in comparison to the blank (untreated) control. Furthermore, the semi-occlusive membrane decreased TEWL but not significantly, whereas the film former appeared to have no effect. We found no significant decrease in TEWL in the semi-occlusive membrane and even in the film former. This in vitro model provides a fast and economical method of screening the effect of occlusivity in wound dressings.
Subject(s)
Bandages , Skin Absorption/physiology , Skin Physiological Phenomena , Water/metabolism , Cadaver , Humans , In Vitro Techniques , Models, Biological , Occlusive Dressings , Water Loss, Insensible/physiologyABSTRACT
Moisturizers are empirically used as prevention and treatment of surfactant and irritant dermatitis. Some products state they not only improve barrier function by providing moisturization but also create an environment optimal for healing. Yet, moisturizer clinical efficacy remains a topic of controversy. We reviewed publication from 1992 to 2006 that quantitatively examines moisturizer effectiveness, as an update of our prior overview, Zhai and Maibach in 1998 (2). We intuitively (in a testimonial sense) believe that moisturizers are sometimes effective for preventing and treating irritant dermatitis. However, moisturizer may not be broadly effective (8, 12) and may be relatively specific against certain acids, bases, hydrophilics, and lipophilics. We need to develop principles of what is formulated in moisturizers to improve efficacy; for this purpose, there is a need for experimental moisturizer models for comparative studies.
