Summary
The sweat gland function in atopic dermatitis (AD) and in respiratory atopy is a matter of controversy. We examined the baseline water loss and local sweating response in non-eczematous back skin of 146 young men: pure AD, AD with rhinitis/asthma, rhinitis/asthma alone, non-atopic dermatosis and non-atopic healthy. All AD subjects were further divided into the subgroups AD dry and AD normal skin. Following injections of saline and a high concentration of methacholine (5×104 mol/1) into separate sites the moisture losses were collected into closed pads over a period of 40 min. The baseline water loss was significantly increased (P<0.001) and median pure sweat loss was significantly decreased (P<0.01) in AD compared with nonatopic healthy individuals. These trends were accentuated in AD dry skin. Respiratory symptoms had no appreciable influence on results. A depressed sweating response occurred in 30% of AD subjects and 9% of non-AD subjects. An elevated baseline water loss value and a depressed sweat loss value coexisted in 22% of subjects with AD dry skin compared with 3% of the non-atopics.
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Parkkinen, M.U., Kiistala, R. & Kiistala, U. Baseline water loss and cholinergic sweat stimulation in atopic dermatitis: a gravimetric measurement of local skin water loss. Arch Dermatol Res 283, 382–386 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00371820
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00371820