چکیده (انگلیسی):

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is characterized by skin barrier dysfunction. Few studies have used
noninvasive techniques to measure epidermis function in asymptomatic neonates.
Methods: Data of 116 infants from our previous randomized controlled study were analyzed. Skin barrier
function was measured through transepidermal water loss (TEWL), stratum corneum hydration (SCH),
and pH. The association between skin barrier function and time to AD development was evaluated.
Patients were classified with high or low TEWL, and SCH and pH were assessed. The survival function of
the time to AD development and hazard ratios were estimated. Allergic sensitization to egg white and
ovomucoid at 32 weeks was assessed.
Results: Regardless of a filaggrin mutation, TEWL (optimal cutoff, 6.5 g/m2/h) of the forehead within the
first week of life showed a lower p-value than TEWL of the leg, and the SCH and pH measurements.
Baseline TEWL of the forehead was not different between groups, except for the mean gestational age,
and it was not affected by humidity. We found a significant difference in the cumulative AD incidence
between the high and low TEWL groups for the forehead only (p < 0.05). The probability without AD was
lower in the high TEWL group than in the low TEWL group. For only the high TEWL group, AD development
decreased significantly with daily emollient use. The high TEWL group exhibited a higher rate of
sensitization to ovomucoid (p ¼ 0.07).
Conclusions: TEWL of the forehead during the first week of life is associated with AD development.