title: Petrolatum: Barrier repair and antimicrobial responses underlying this "inert" moisturizer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Petrolatum is a common moisturizer often used in the prevention of skin infections after ambulatory surgeries and as a maintenance therapy of atopic dermatitis (AD). However, the molecular responses induced by petrolatum in the skin have never been assessed.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We sought to define the cutaneous molecular and structural effects induced by petrolatum.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-six healthy subjects and 13 patients with moderate AD (mean SCORAD score, 39) were studied by using RT-PCR, gene arrays, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence performed on control skin, petrolatum-occluded skin, and skin occluded with a Finn chamber only.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant upregulations of antimicrobial peptides (S100A8/fold change [FCH], 13.04; S100A9/FCH, 11.28; CCL20/FCH, 8.36; PI3 [elafin]/FCH, 15.40; lipocalin 2/FCH, 6.94, human β-defensin 2 [DEFB4A]/FCH, 4.96; P < .001 for all) and innate immune genes (IL6, IL8, and IL1B; P < .01) were observed in petrolatum-occluded skin compared with expression in both control and occluded-only skin. Application of petrolatum also induced expression of key barrier differentiation markers (filaggrin and loricrin), increased stratum corneum thickness, and significantly reduced T-cell infiltrates in the setting of "normal-appearing" or nonlesional AD skin, which is known to harbor barrier and immune defects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Petrolatum robustly modulates antimicrobials and epidermal differentiation barrier measures. These data shed light on the beneficial molecular responses of petrolatum in barrier-defective states, such as AD and postoperative wound care.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Investigative Dermatology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Tali
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Czarnowicki
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Investigative Dermatology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY; Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Dana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Malajian
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Investigative Dermatology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY; Department of Dermatology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Saakshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khattri
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Investigative Dermatology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY; Center for Clinical and Translational Science, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Correa da Rosa
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Investigative Dermatology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY; Department of Dermatology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Riana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dutt
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pa.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Finney
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Nikhil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dhingra
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Investigative Dermatology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY; Department of Dermatology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Xiangyu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Investigative Dermatology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY; Department of Dermatology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Yeriel D
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Estrada
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Investigative Dermatology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Xiuzhong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Investigative Dermatology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gilleaudeau
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Investigative Dermatology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sullivan-Whalen
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Investigative Dermatology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY; Department of Dermatology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY; Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY; Department of Genetics and Genomics Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY; Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Mayte
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suaréz-Fariñas
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Tel-Hashomer Hospital, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Avner
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shemer
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Investigative Dermatology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY.
authors.forename: James G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Krueger
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Investigative Dermatology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY; Department of Dermatology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY. Electronic address: eguttman@rockefeller.edu.
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Guttman-Yassky
mesh_terms: D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D004643:Emollients / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D000091344:Filaggrin Proteins; D006801:Humans; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D010577:Petrolatum / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D004643:Emollients; C000717249:FLG protein, human; D000091344:Filaggrin Proteins; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C064554:loricrin; D010577:Petrolatum
keywords: Petrolatum; antimicrobial peptides; atopic dermatitis; barrier; innate immunity; moisturizer; occlusion; patch tests; skin surgeries