A 24-HOUR OCCLUSIVE EXPOSURE TO 1-PERCENT SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE INDUCES A UNIQUE HISTOPATHOLOGIC INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE IN THE XEROTIC SKIN OF ATOPIC-DERMATITIS PATIENTS

Twenty-four-hour occlusive exposures of 1% aqueous sodium lauryl sulfa te (SLS) produced unique functional and histological responses in pati ents with atopic dermatitis. Disruption of the stratum corneum barrier , measured by transepidermal water loss, was much greater and longer l asting than in normal controls. In contrast to controls the histologic pattern induced reproduced the typical features of the disease with s pongiosis, exocytosis of mononuclear cells and a perivenular infiltrat e containing eosinophils. The perivascular infiltrate consisted of CD1 a(+), CD4(+) and HLA-DR+ cells, which was much greater and more persis tent in atopics, Eosinophilic major basic protein was abundant in atop ics but absent in controls. SLS provocation of atopic dermatitis is a striking experimental example of Koebnerization, in which disruption o f the stratum corneum barrier as well as cytokine activation of kerati nocytes reproduces the clinical diseases.