TRICLOSAN INHIBITS HISTAMINE-INDUCED INFLAMMATION IN HUMAN SKIN

Previous studies indicate that triclosan reduces the pain and other sy mptoms after chemically-induced inflammation in the oral mucose and sk in when sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is used as an irritant. The aim of the present study was to examine whether triclosan has an effect on t he inflammation in human skin caused by intradermal administration of histamine. 9 female volunteers participated in a double-blind study, a nd skin patch tests were performed in 2 series. In the 1st, the skin w as pre-treated for 1 h with triclosan before the histamine was applied . In the 2nd, the histamine reaction was elicited first and triclosan applied subsequently. The effect of triclosan on the weals formed in t he skin after histamine application was measured. It was found that tr iclosan reduced the size of the weals markedly when triclosan was appl ied after the weals were formed, and that pre-treatment of the skin ha d only a slight effect. It is assumed that triclosan has an effect on the cascade reactions of inflammation elicited by histamine. 2 other p henols tested in the same study had similar effects.