Eicosanoid and cytokine levels in acute skin irritation in response to tape stripping and capsaicin

We assessed the effects of physical and chemical irritants on a profile of acute inflammatory mediators in normal human skin. Skin damage in both case s is accompanied by a flux of inflammatory processes and repair mechanisms, which remain imprecisely understood. We used 10 sequential cellotape strip s or topical application of 0.075% capsaicin as skin irritants and characte rized the subsequent production and/or release of inflammatory mediators in suction blister fluids from human skin in vivo. In tape stripped skin, lev els of prostaglandin E-2 and interleukin-1 alpha were increased 3.4-fold an d 3.3-fold, respectively (p < 0.0001; p < 0.02), levels of tumour necrosis factor-alpha were decreased 3.0-fold (p < 0.01), whereas levels of interleu kin-6 and leukotriene B-4 in blister fluids remained relatively unchanged. For the capsaicin-treated skin, levels of mediators showed only minor diffe rences when compared,with matched controls, However, a correlation was obse rved between levels of prostaglandin E2 and interleukin-1 alpha in capsaici n pre-treated blister fluids (r = 0.58, p < 0.01, n = 19). These data are c onsistent with prostaglandin E-2 and interleukin-la playing key roles in ac ute skin responses to mild irritants.