Comparison of the effects of daily applications between topical corticosteroid and tacrolimus ointments on normal skin: evaluation with noninvasive methods.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the skin changes of the neck of normal individuals after repeated applications of moderate-strength corticosteroid or tracrolimus ointment for 3 weeks by use of noninvasive biophysical measurements.


METHODS
A 0.12% betamethasone-17-valerate ointment or a 0.1% tacrolimus ointment was applied to the right side of the neck of 8 adult volunteers twice daily for 3 weeks together with control petrolatum applied to the left side of the neck for comparison. Biophysical skin measurements were performed on the neck skin before, 1 and 3 weeks after the start of the treatment and 1 week after the cessation of the treatment.


RESULTS
A decrease in hygroscopicity and water-holding capacity of the stratum corneum (SC) when evaluated with the in vivo water sorption-desorption test was found on the corticosteroid-ointment-treated side after 3 weeks of the treatment as compared with the petrolatum-treated side. The erythematous reaction to a topically applied 0.1% aqueous solution of methyl nicotinate, a vasodilator, appeared more slowly on the corticosteroid-ointment-treated skin than on the control skin. No such changes were observed on the skin treated with 0.1% tacrolimus ointment.


CONCLUSIONS
Tacrolimus appears to cause few if any functional changes in the SC of healthy human skin because of its poor permeability into skin with an intact barrier function.
Kikuchi
Katsuko
K
Department of Dermatology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan. katsukon@mail.cc.tohoku.ac.jp
Tagami
Hachiro
H
D000287:Administration, Topical; D000328:Adult; D001624:Betamethasone Valerate / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001834:Body Water / Q000378:metabolism; D003880:Dermatology / Q000379:methods*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004817:Epidermis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009824:Ointments; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012869:Skin Absorption / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D012879:Skin Physiological Phenomena; D016559:Tacrolimus / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014870:Water Loss, Insensible
D009824:Ointments; D001624:Betamethasone Valerate; D016559:Tacrolimus