Cutaneous barrier function in children affected by atopic dermatitis: instrumental evaluation of 200 patients and 45 healthy subjects

Objective: the aim of our study was to obtain objective data on skin functi ons in subjects with atopic dermatitis (AD). Methods: we instrumentally evaluated the skin of 200 children with AD, aged 4 months to 12 years, and of 45 healthy subjects of the same age group at 8 different skin sites. Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) representing skin barrier function, and capacitance, corresponding to the water. content of t he stratum corneum, were considered Al the moment of the investigation 104 children out the 200 hud skin lesions an a least one skin area, whereas 96 had been from eczema for at least I month. Results: considering all skin sites together, mean values of TEWL and capac itance of eczematous skin significantly differed both in respect to those r eferring to apparently healthy skin in the same patients and in respect to the skin of control subjects. Moreover; TEWL and capacitance values referri ng to uninvolved skin of AD patients significantly differed from those of h ealthy subjects. Finally significant differences were observed between the parameters of uninvolved skin of AD patients with active dermatitis in resp ect to those of AD patients with inactive dermatitis. Conclusion: these data show that, in patients with AD, skin functions under go fluctuations according to the phase of the disease and support the hypot hesis that the presence of active eczema determines an impairment of the ba rrier of involved skill, even at sites far from active lesions.