title: Effects of a New Emollient-Based Treatment on Skin Microflora Balance and Barrier Function in Children with Mild Atopic Dermatitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The use of emollients is widely recommended for the management of atopic dermatitis (AD), especially between flares. An imbalance of skin microflora is suspected of playing a key role in exacerbations of AD. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of a new emollient balm on clinical parameters (SCORing Atopic Dermatitis [SCORAD], xerosis, pruritus), skin barrier function (transepidermal water loss and loricrin, filaggrin, corneodesmosin, and involucrin expression], skin microflora biodiversity, and Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis balance in children with mild AD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-four children (1-4 yrs old) were enrolled in this randomized, controlled study. Subjects applied a hygiene product and the emollient balm (emollient group, n = 28) or the hygiene product only (control group, n = 26) twice a day for 28 days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found improvement in favor of the emollient group in SCORAD (p < 0.001), pruritus (p = 0.06), and xerosis (p = 0.06) after 28 days of application. Moreover, transepidermal water loss decreased in the emollient group by 34% (p = 0.06) and involucrin expression by 37% (p = 0.001) at day 28 from baseline in association with improvement in barrier function, whereas other barrier-specific proteins did not vary. S. aureus increased significantly in the control group only (6.5 times, p = 0.01), whereas S. epidermidis remained stable in both groups. The Shannon index (H' = 2.3) did not vary with treatment in either group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Twice-daily application of a new emollient balm in children with mild AD protected the skin from S. aureus proliferation and preserved microflora biodiversity.
authors.affiliation: European Center for Skin Research, Pierre Fabre Dermo-Cosmétique, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Pascale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bianchi
authors.affiliation: European Center for Skin Research, Pierre Fabre Dermo-Cosmétique, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Theunis
authors.affiliation: European Center for Skin Research, Pierre Fabre Dermo-Cosmétique, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Casas
authors.affiliation: European Center for Skin Research, Pierre Fabre Dermo-Cosmétique, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Cecile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Villeneuve
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Patrizi
authors.affiliation: European Center for Skin Research, Pierre Fabre Dermo-Cosmétique, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Chloe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Phulpin
authors.affiliation: European Center for Skin Research, Pierre Fabre Dermo-Cosmétique, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Adeline
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bacquey
authors.affiliation: European Center for Skin Research, Pierre Fabre Dermo-Cosmétique, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Redoulès
authors.affiliation: European Center for Skin Research, Pierre Fabre Dermo-Cosmétique, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mengeaud
authors.affiliation: European Center for Skin Research, Pierre Fabre Dermo-Cosmétique, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Anne-Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Schmitt
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004643:Emollients / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000091344:Filaggrin Proteins; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D004643:Emollients; C000717249:FLG protein, human; D000091344:Filaggrin Proteins