title: Evidence of increased skin irritation after wet work: impact of water exposure and occlusion.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Exposure to humid environments/water and prolonged glove occlusion are both believed to cause irritant contact dermatitis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study the effects of different forms of wet work, especially the differences between water exposure and occlusion, by using an experimental model simulating occupational wet work.
  
  
  METHODS
  The responses to water exposure and occlusion over multiple daily exposure periods for 7 days were compared in 73 volunteers. After the 1 week exposure, the sites were irritated with sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). Comparison was performed via visual inspection and bioengineering methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Whereas occlusion did not induce measurable alterations in skin physiology, water exposure for more than 3 hr daily caused a significant increase in transepidermal water loss (TEWL) as compared with the control areas. SLS irritation of the previously occluded and the water-exposed sites induced higher TEWL and clinical scores in a time-dependent fashion as compared with the control areas, with more pronounced reactions in the water-exposed sites than in the occluded sites.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both previous occlusion and water exposure were capable of inducing higher susceptibility to SLS irritation. Skin hydration by occlusion had a different biological effect than water exposure. Short occlusions seem to harm the skin less than water exposure for the same duration.
authors.affiliation: Department for Clinical and Experimental Occupational Dermatology, Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance, Institute of the Ruhr-University Bochum (IPA), 44789 Bochum, Germany. fartasch@ipa.ruhr-uni-bochum.de
authors.forename: Manigé
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fartasch
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Taeger
authors.forename: Horst C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Broding
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schöneweis
authors.forename: Beatrix
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gellert
authors.forename: Ute
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Pohrt
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Brüning
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017453:Dermatitis, Irritant / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009783:Dermatitis, Occupational / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004485:Eczema / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D017575:Gloves, Protective / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012967:Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors; D014867:Water / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014870:Water Loss, Insensible / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D014867:Water; D012967:Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate