Emal Lima M, Tamminga Sietske J, Schaafsma Frederieke G, Jakasa Ivone, Peremin Ines, Kirschbaum Clemens, van der Molen Henk F, Kezic Sanja
Department of Public and Occupational health, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute University of Amsterdam Amsterdam Noord-Holland Netherlands.
Laboratory for Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology University of Zagreb Zagreb Croatia.
Health Sci Rep. 2024 Jan 3;7(1):e1710. doi: 10.1002/hsr2.1710. eCollection 2024 Jan.
The detection of biomarkers of a stress response in the stratum corneum (SC) could be used as objective assessment of early stress symptoms and monitoring of stress reduction interventions in health care workers (HCWs).
The aim of this study is to explore SC biomarkers of immune and hormonal response and skin barrier for assessment of psychological distress (PD) in HCWs.
Twenty-five female HCWs and 25 non-HCWs participated. SC samples were collected using adhesive tapes at baseline and 3-5 days later (T1). We analyzed 24 biomarkers (immunological, vascular, hormones, and natural moisturizing factors). Stress symptoms were assessed using three scales of Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire. The study involved: identifying SC biomarkers, correlating stress symptoms and biomarkers at baseline and T1, examining stress symptoms between the groups with a Mann-Whitney test, comparing stress symptoms and biomarkers between groups using Ordinary Least Regression and investigating temporal variability of SC biomarkers at baseline and T1 using a Wilcoxon-signed rank.
Fourteen SC biomarkers were identified. We found correlations between general stress and "IL18" ( = 0.55) physical stress and "IL1b" ( = 0.36) and cognitive stress and "MIP3a" ( = 0.38) at baseline and general stress and cortisol ( = -0.49), physical stress and cortisol ( = -0.60) and cortisone ( = -0.67) at T1. We found no differences in stress symptoms and biomarkers between the groups, except for "MIP3a" at baseline. Differences in the biomarker levels between two time points were found for "TARC," "VEGFA," "ILRA," "IL1RA/IL1a," "NMF," and "DHEA."
The SC can be suitable biological material to assess biomarkers related to immune response, hormonal response, and skin barrier function. The SC biomarkers, showed strong, moderate and weak correlations with stress symptoms. Notably, these associations include cytokines of innate immunity and well-known stress hormones, cortisol and cortisone.
检测角质层（SC）中应激反应的生物标志物可用于客观评估医护人员（HCWs）的早期应激症状以及监测应激缓解干预措施。
本研究旨在探索免疫和激素反应以及皮肤屏障的SC生物标志物，以评估医护人员的心理困扰（PD）。
25名女性医护人员和25名非医护人员参与研究。在基线期和3 - 5天后（T1）使用胶带收集SC样本。我们分析了24种生物标志物（免疫、血管、激素和天然保湿因子）。使用哥本哈根心理社会问卷的三个量表评估应激症状。该研究包括：识别SC生物标志物，在基线期和T1期将应激症状与生物标志物进行关联，使用曼 - 惠特尼检验检查两组之间的应激症状，使用普通最小二乘法回归比较两组之间的应激症状和生物标志物，并使用威尔科克森符号秩检验研究基线期和T1期SC生物标志物的时间变异性。
识别出14种SC生物标志物。我们发现在基线期一般应激与“IL18”（r = 0.55）、身体应激与“IL1b”（r = 0.36）、认知应激与“MIP3a”（r = 0.38）之间存在相关性，在T1期一般应激与皮质醇（r = -0.49）、身体应激与皮质醇（r = -0.60）以及可的松（r = -0.67）之间存在相关性。除了基线期的“MIP3a”外，我们发现两组之间的应激症状和生物标志物没有差异。在“TARC”、“VEGFA”、“ILRA”、“IL1RA/IL1a”、“NMF”和“DHEA”这两个时间点的生物标志物水平存在差异。
SC可能是评估与免疫反应、激素反应和皮肤屏障功能相关生物标志物的合适生物材料。SC生物标志物与应激症状表现出强、中、弱相关性。值得注意的是，这些关联包括先天免疫细胞因子以及著名的应激激素皮质醇和可的松。
