Air flow at different temperatures increases sodium lauryl sulphate-induced barrier disruption and irritation in vivo.
BACKGROUND
Combined exposure to dry climatic conditions and local heat sources together with detergents represents a common workplace situation. These conditions may support the induction of chronic barrier disruption leading subsequently to irritant contact dermatitis (ICD).


OBJECTIVE
To test the irritant and barrier disrupting properties of air flow at different temperatures and velocities.


METHODS
Using noninvasive biophysical measurements such as transepidermal water loss (TEWL) (TM 210; Courage & Khazaka, Cologne, Germany) we assessed the effects of short-term exposure to air flow at different temperatures (24 degrees C and 43 degrees C) in combination with sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) 0.5% on the skin of 20 healthy volunteers in a tandem repeated irritation test. Chromametry was used to control the accuracy of the SLS irritation model.


RESULTS
In our study air flow alone did not lead to a significant increase in TEWL values. Sequential treatment with air flow and SLS led to an impairment of barrier function and irritation stronger than that produced by SLS alone. The two different air flow temperatures led to different skin temperatures but had no influence on permeability barrier function.


CONCLUSIONS
Warm air flow has an additional effect on the SLS-induced barrier disruption in a tandem irritation test with sequential exposure to SLS/air flow. This combination is suspected to promote ICD in workplace and household situations, especially in short-term applications as tested in our model.
Fluhr
J W
JW
Skin Physiology Laboratory, Department of Dermatology, Friedrich-Schiller-University, Erfurter Str. 35, 07740 Jena, Germany. Fluhr@derma.uni-jena.de
Praessler
J
J
Akengin
A
A
Fuchs
S M
SM
Kleesz
P
P
Grieshaber
R
R
Elsner
P
P
D000328:Adult; D000389:Air Conditioning; D000392:Air Movements; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D017453:Dermatitis, Irritant / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009783:Dermatitis, Occupational / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D012879:Skin Physiological Phenomena; D012881:Skin Temperature; D012882:Skin Tests; D012967:Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D014870:Water Loss, Insensible
D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D012967:Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate