Joachim Wilhelm Fluhr

Activators of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-alpha, a nuclear hormone receptor that heterodimerizes with retinoid X receptor, stimulate epidermal differentiation and inhibit proliferation. Here we determined the anti-inflammatory effects of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-alpha agonists in models of irritant and allergic contact dermatitis produced in mouse ears by topical treatment with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate and oxazalone, respectively. As expected, ...

BACKGROUND: Propionibacterium acnes is the target of antimicrobial treatments for acne vulgaris. Acquired resistance to erythromycin, clindamycin and tetracyclines has been reported in strains from diverse geographical loci, but the molecular basis of resistance, via mutations in genes encoding 23S and 16S rRNA, respectively, has so far only been elucidated for isolates from the U.K.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether similar or different resistance mechanisms occur in resistant P. acnes ...

Activators of liver X receptors (LXR) stimulate epidermal differentiation and development, but inhibit keratinocyte proliferation. In this study, the anti-inflammatory effects of two oxysterols, 22(R)-hydroxy-cholesterol (22ROH) and 25-hydroxycholesterol (25OH), and a nonsterol activator of LXR, GW3965, were examined utilizing models of irritant and allergic contact dermatitis. Irritant dermatitis was induced by applying phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate (TPA) to the surface of the ears of ...

BACKGROUND: The carriers of loss-of-function mutations in the filaggrin gene (FLG) have reduced levels of natural moisturizing factor (NMF) in the stratum corneum. The concentration of NMF components which are formed by filaggrin protein breakdown in the stratum corneum might therefore be useful as a biomarker of the FLG genotype. OBJECTIVES To investigate the feasibility of different sampling methods for the determination of two NMF components, 2-pyrrolidone-5-carboxylic acid (PCA) and ...

BACKGROUND: Keratinocytes participate in initiation and amplification of T-cell-mediated skin diseases. During these disorders, histamine can be released from both residents skin cells and immigrating leukocytes, and can affect the functions of dendritic cells, monocytes, and lymphocytes. Little information is available on the effects of histamine on keratinocytes.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the presence of functional H1 receptors on human keratinocytes and the capacity of histamine to ...

Prolonged exposure of human epidermis to excess endogenous or exogenous glucocorticoids can result in well-recognized cutaneous abnormalities. Here, we determined whether short-term glucocorticoid treatment would also display adverse effects, specifically on two key epidermal functions, permeability barrier homeostasis and stratum corneum integrity and cohesion, and the basis for such changes. In humans 3 d of treatment with a potent, commonly employed topical glucocorticoid ...

There is evidence that the "acid mantle" of the stratum corneum is important for both permeability barrier formation and cutaneous antimicrobial defense. The origin of the acidic pH of the stratum corneum remains conjectural, however. Both passive (e.g., eccrine/sebaceous secretions, proteolytic) and active (e.g., proton pumps) mechanisms have been proposed. We assessed here whether the free fatty acid pool, which is derived from phospholipase-mediated hydrolysis of phospholipids during ...

BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory disease associated with changes in stratum corneum (SC) structure and function. The breakdown of epidermal barrier function in AD is associated with changes in corneocyte size and maturation, desquamation, lipid profiles, and some protease activities.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was: (i) to examine physiological changes in lesional (L) skin of acute eczematous AD, compared with nonlesional (NL) AD skin and healthy (H) ...

Understanding the penetration behaviour of drugs into human skin is a prerequisite for the rational development and evaluation of effective dermal drug delivery. The general procedure for the acquisition of quantitative drug penetration profiles in human skin is performed by sequential segmentation and extraction. Unfortunately, this technique is destructive, laborious and lacks spatial resolution. Confocal Raman microscopy bares the potential of a chemically selective, label free and ...

BACKGROUND: Common warts (verrucae vulgares) are human papilloma virus (HPV) infections with a high incidence and prevalence, most often affecting hands and feet, being able to impair quality of life. About 30 different therapeutic regimens described in literature reveal a lack of a single striking strategy. Recent publications showed positive results of photodynamic therapy (PDT) with 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) in the treatment of HPV-induced skin diseases, especially warts, using ...

OBJECTIVES: Clinical scores used to assess the severity of atopic dermatitis (AD) rely entirely on subjective criteria to evaluate the severity of lesions and the extent of involvement. The aim of this study was to develop an objective measure of AD severity by measuring stratum corneum (SC) functions and by using computer-assisted estimates of involved body surface areas (BSAs).

DESIGN: Barrier function of the SC was assessed by measuring transepidermal water loss, and SC hydration was ...

BACKGROUND: The Objective Severity Assessment of Atopic Dermatitis (OSAAD) score is a recently developed scale for evaluation of severity of atopic dermatitis, constructed from the assessment of epidermal barrier function, and properties using noninvasive bioengineering methods and computer-assisted estimates of disease extent. The method has been validated for use in infants and children with atopic dermatitis and compared with a referent scoring system.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the ...

Cholesterol is a key lipid in the stratum corneum, where it is critical for permeability barrier homeostasis. The epidermis is an active site of cholesterol synthesis, but inhibition of epidermal cholesterol synthesis with topically applied statins only modestly affects epidermal permeability barrier function, suggesting a possible compensatory role for extraepidermal cholesterol. Scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI) is a recently described cell surface receptor for high density ...

BACKGROUND: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a noninvasive imaging technique that uses a low-power infrared laser to image up to 2 mm beneath the skin's surface.

OBJECTIVE: To test the feasibility and diagnostic value of using in vivo OCT to define excision margins before Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) of basal cell carcinoma (BCC).

METHODS: Patients with biopsy confirmed BCC undergoing MMS were recruited (n = 52). Excision margins defined by experienced dermatologists were ...

BACKGROUND: The interaction between potential irritants in the workplace might be important because workers are not usually exposed to a single irritant, but to multiple potentially harmful substances. Physical irritant contact dermatitis caused by friction or mechanical abrasion is a common occupational dermatosis. Prolonged water exposure by occlusion is also common in the workplace. Several studies have revealed the negative effect of the common anionic detergent sodium lauryl ...