Lipid depletion enables permeation of bacteria through human stratum corneum.

UNLABELLED

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects approximately 2-5% of adults worldwide. The pathogenesis of AD continues to be a well-debated point of conjecture, with numerous hypotheses having been proposed. AD conditions are associated with increased populations of and reduced skin lipids. In this study, we evaluate the ability of to permeate across human stratum corneum (SC) exhibiting both normal and depleted lipid conditions consistent with AD. This permeation would enable bacteria to interact with underlying viable epidermal cells, which could serve as a trigger for inflammation and disease onset. Our results indicate that permeation of through SC exhibiting normal lipid conditions is not statistically significant. However, bacteria can readily permeate through lipid depleted tissue over a 9-d period. These findings suggest that may potentially act as the mechanistic cause, rather than merely the result of AD.

ABBREVIATIONS

AD: Atopic dermatitis; SC: Stratum Corneum; AMP: Antimicrobial peptide; DIW: Deionized water; PDMS: Polydimethylsiloxane; GFP: Green fluorescent protein; BHI: Brain heart infusion medium.