A suction blister model reliably assesses skin barrier restoration and immune response (734.1)
Abstract
This study assessed test‐retest reliability of a skin suction blister method for evaluating immune function. Up to 8 blisters (~30 mm2) were induced via suction on participant’s left and right forearm, separated by ~1 week. Fluid was sampled from blisters and the top layer was removed to reveal up to 8 wounds. Fluid was collected from wounds 4, 7 and 24 h post‐blistering, and pro‐inflammatory cytokines were measured. Transepidermal water loss, to assess skin barrier recovery, was measured daily until values were within 90% of unbroken skin. Sleep and stress (i.e., factors affecting wound healing), in the days before blistering, were assessed via activity monitors and the Perceived Stress Scale. This method was deemed reliable if correlations between the left and right arm reached 0.8. Skin barrier restoration for participants (n=16; 12M/4F; 23±5 years [mean±SD]) was 4.96±0.70 and 4.83±0.96 days for sessions 1 and 2, respectively. Correlations for skin barrier restoration, [area‐under‐the‐curve] IL‐6, IL‐8 and TNF‐α were 0.8, 0.9, 0.7, and 0.5, respectively (P<0.001‐P<0.05). When sleep and stress were considered, correlations improved for IL8 (0.8, P=0.002) and TNF‐α (0.7, P=0.01). This suction blister method is reliable for assessing skin barrier restoration and immune response, and can be used to study the functional impact of various stressors on immune function and wound healing.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2014
- Source ID
- 10.1096/fasebj.28.1_supplement.734.1
Entities
People
- Andrew Young
- Marques A. Wilson
- Scott Montain
- Tracey Smith
Organizations
- United States Army Medical Research and Development Command
- United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine