Impaired skin barrier and allergic sensitization in 16-year-old adolescents

Abstract

Abstract Background Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) has been used to measure skin barrier function and has been associated with atopic dermatitis and allergic diseases in infancy. However, few studies have assessed the association between TEWL and allergic diseases in adolescents. Objective To investigate the association between TEWL and allergic sensitizations in 16-year-old adolescents. Materials and methods The study was conducted in 78 adolescents of the PASTURE study. Different types of sensitization (seasonal, perennial, inhalant, food and any) were defined using serum specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) and skin prick test. TEWL was measured on the crook of either right or the left arm using a TEWAMETER® TM 300 (Courage + Khazaka electronic, Cologne, Germany) at mean temperature and humidity of 24.1 °C and 36.1%, respectively. The mean TEWL and interquartile range (IQR) were 11.9 ± 4.4 and 4.8 g/m2/h respectively. Results In our study, TEWL was positively associated with any sensitization (adjusted odds ratio [OR] per-IQR of the probability of increased TEWL [95% confidence interval]: OR 2.64; [1.12–6.19]; p = 0.03) and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (ARC; OR 1.92; [1.04–3.54]; p = 0.04), but not with asthma or atopic dermatitis. When separating any sensitization into perennial and seasonal, only perennial sensitization (OR 3.30; [1.42–7.43]; p = 0.005) was associated with TEWL. Conclusion In the present study, we show the association of defective skin barrier function measured as TEWL with perennial sensitization and ARC suggesting its possible role in the pathogenesis of ARC through sensitization.