[Survey of atopic dermatitis and skin barrier functions in Japanese and Chinese school students].
BACKGROUND
The comparative studies of the prevalence of atopic dermatitis and skin barrier functions in Japanese and Chinese were performed.


METHODS
Clinical investigations were performed in 68 elementary school students in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region and 67 students in Yixing, Jiangsu Province in China, and 99 students in Nishinomiya, Hyogo in Japan. Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and capacitance were measured. Questionary survey about bathing frequency was also performed for students in Lhasa, Yixing and Osaka.


RESULTS
The prevalence rate of atopic dermatitis was 0% in Lhasa, 2.63% in Yixing, 4.26% in Nishinomiya. TEWL of students in Nishinomiya was higher than that in Yixing and Lhasa. Capacitance of students in Lhasa was lower than that in Nishinomiya and Yixing. The frequency of taking a bath in Lhasa was about 2.2 times per month and fewer than that in Nishinomiya and Yixing.


CONCLUSIONS
There was tendency that the prevalence of atopic dermatitis increased according to increase of TEWL. It was thought that more investigations are necessary whether the development of habitat and environment influence the prevalence of atopic dermatitis and skin barrier function.
Sumikawa
Yasuyuki
Y
Department of Dermatology, Toyonaka Municipal Hospital, Japan. sumikawa@derma.med.asaka-u.ac.jp
Ueki
Yuriko
Y
Miyoshi
Akira
A
Cheng
Lei
L
Yin
Min
M
Shi
Hai-Bo
HB
Daitoku Sumikawa
Masuko
M
Kono
Takeshi
T
Aoki
Toshiyuki
T
Katayama
Ichiro
I
D002648:Child; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004777:Environment; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008019:Life Style; D015995:Prevalence; D012574:Schools / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012879:Skin Physiological Phenomena; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014870:Water Loss, Insensible