SKIN BARRIER FUNCTION AND DERMAL INFLAMMATION - AN EXPERIMENTAL-STUDYOF TRANSEPIDERMAL WATER-LOSS AFTER DERMAL TUBERCULIN INJECTION COMPARED WITH SLS PATCH TESTING

The reaction of the skin water barrier to dermal inflammation was stud ied in 15 healthy volunteers. Dermal inflammation was induced either b y injection of tuberculin (Mantoux test) or by a 24-h sodium lauryl su lphate (SLS) patch test on the volar forearm. Measurement of transepid ermal water loss (TEWL) was used for evaluation of the skin barrier fu nction. Inflammation was quantified by assessment of blood flow by las er-Doppler flowmetry. Measurement from uninvolved skin in the test reg ion > 7 cm distant from the test sites served as control. Measurements were performed twice, separated by an interval of 6 days. Throughout the study, TEWL values were higher in the SLS test sites than in the M antoux reactions, although the blood flow was significantly increased in Mantoux reactions compared with SLS test sites. This indicates that the impaired skin barrier function caused by SLS is due to a direct c ytotoxic effect, and cannot be explained by the inflammatory response alone. At control sites, blood flow and TEWL were significantly higher on the arm with the Mantoux test than the arm with the SLS patch test . The significant inflammation caused by the Mantoux reaction may caus e functional alterations in the clinically normal skin > 7 cm distant from the test area.