Stratum Corneum Desquamation

  • Gérald E. Piérard
  • Trinh Hermanns-Lê
  • Claudine Piérard-Franchimont
Reference work entry

Abstract

Desquamation is a regular process participating in the stratum corneum self-renewal. It is globally correlated with the intercorneocyte cohesion and binding forces. Scaliness and xerosis represent frequent disorders of desquamation. The methods of assessment rely either on spontaneous or forced desquamation. Presently, the most common procedures involve specially designed tapes and cyanoacrylate skin surface strippings. The corneocytes are possibly stained in vivo using fluorescent or chromatic dyes. Assessments rely on visual, gravimetric, photometric, specular light reflectance, and image analysis methods.

Keywords

Stratum corneum Corneocyte Corneodesmosome Xerosis Scaling Squamometry 

Abbreviations

ACD

Adhesive-coated disk

CSSS

Cyanoacrylate skin surface stripping

DC

Dansyl chloride

DHA

Dihydroxyacetone

ETT

Epidermal turnover time

NMF

Natural moisturizing factor

SC

Stratum corneum

SCMI

Skin capacitance mapping/imaging

References

  1. Bazin R, Laquièze S, Rosillo A, Lévêque JL. Photoaging of the chest analyzed by capacitance imaging. Skin Res Technol. 2010;16:23–9.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  2. Chu M, Kollias N. Documentation of normal stratum corneum scaling in an average population: features of differences among age, ethnicity and body site. Br J Dermatol. 2011;164:497–507.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  3. Corcuff P, Chatenay F, Lévêque JL. Desquamation of the stratum corneum: kinetics following UV-induced injury. Acta Derm Venereol. 1987;134:S35–8.Google Scholar
  4. Egelrud T, Lundstrom A. A chymotrypsin-like proteinase that may be involved in desquamation in plantar stratum corneum. Arch Dermatol Res. 1991;283:108–12.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  5. Guz NV, Gaikwad RM, Dokukun ME, Sokolov I. A novel in vitro stripping method to study geometry of corneocytes with fluorescent microscopy: example of aging skin. Skin Res Technol. 2009;15:379–83.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  6. Haftek M, Callejon S, Sandjeu Y, Padois K, Falson F, Pirot F, Portes P, Demarne F, Jannin V. Compartmentalization of the human stratum corneum by persistent tight junction-like structures. Exp Dermatol. 2011;20:617–21.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  7. Igawa S, Kishibe M, Murakami M, Honma M, Takahashi H, Iizuka H, Ishida-Yamamoto A. Tight junctions in the stratum corneum explain spatial differences in corneodesmosome degradation. Exp Dermatol. 2011;20:53–7.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  8. Ishida-Yamamoto A, Igawa S, Kishibe M. Order and disorder in corneocyte adhesion. J Dermatol. 2011;38:645–54.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  9. Kim MY, Lee SE, Chang JY, Kim SC. Retinoid induces the degradation of corneodesmosomes and downregulation of corneodesmosomal cadherins: implications on the mechanism of retinoid-induced desquamation. Ann Dermatol. 2011;23:439–47.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentralGoogle Scholar
  10. Lévêque JL, Corcuff P, Gonnord G, Montastier C, Renault B, Bazin R, Piérard GE, Poelman MC. Mechanism of action of a lipophilic derivative of salicylic acid on normal skin. Skin Res Technol. 1995;1:115–22.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  11. Lin TK, Crumrine D, Ackerman LD, Santiago JL, Roelandt T, Uchida Y, Hupe M, Fabrias G, Abad JL, Rice RH, Elias PM. Cellular changes that accompany shedding of human corneocytes. J Invest Dermatol. 2012;132:2430–9.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentralGoogle Scholar
  12. Mohammed D, Matts PJ, Hadgraft J, Lane ME. Depth profiling of stratum corneum biophysical and molecular properties. Br J Dermatol. 2011;164:957–65.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  13. Paye M, Simion A, Piérard GE. Dansyl chloride labelling of stratum corneum: its rapid extraction from skin can predict skin irritation due to surfactants and cleansing products. Contact Dermatitis. 1994;30:91–6.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  14. Paye M, Gomes G, Zerweg C, Piérard GE, Grove GG. A hand immersion test under laboratory-controlled usage conditions: a need for sensitive and controlled assessment methods. Contact Dermatitis. 1999;40:133–8.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  15. Piérard GE. What do you mean by dry skin? Dermatologica. 1989;179:1–2.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  16. Piérard GE. Microscopic evaluation of the dansyl chloride test. Dermatology. 1992;185:37–40.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  17. Piérard GE. EEMCO guidance for the assessment of dry skin (xerosis) and ichthyosis: evaluation by stratum corneum strippings. Skin Res Technol. 1996;2:3–11.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  18. Piérard GE, Piérard-Franchimont C. Dihydroxyacetone test as a substitute for the dansyl chloride test. Dermatology. 1993;186:133–7.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  19. Piérard GE, Piérard-Franchimont C, Saint Léger D, Kligman AM. Squamometry: the assessment of xerosis by colorimetry of D-Squame adhesive discs. J Soc Cosmet Chem. 1992;47:297–305.Google Scholar
  20. Piérard GE, Goffin V, Hermanns-Lê T, Piérard-Franchimont C. Corneocyte desquamation. Int J Mol Med. 2000;6:217–21.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  21. Piérard GE, Xhauflaire-Uhoda E, Piérard-Franchimont C. The key role of corneocytes in pityrosporoses. Dermatology. 2006;212:23–6.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  22. Piérard-Franchimont C, Piérard GE. Skin surface stripping in diagnosing and monitoring inflammatory, xerotic and neoplastic diseases. Pediatr Dermatol. 1985;2:180–4.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  23. Piérard-Franchimont C, Goffin V, Piérard GE. Modulation of human stratum corneum properties by salicylic acid and all-trans-retinoic acid. Skin Pharmacol Appl Skin Physiol. 1998;11:266–72.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  24. Piérard-Franchimont C, Henry F, Piérard GE. The SACD method and the XLRS squamometry test revisited. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2000;22:437–46.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  25. Piérard-Franchimont C, Quatresooz P, Piérard GE. Specular light reflectance of flakes in seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp. A pilot study. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2011;36:793–6.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  26. Piérard GE, Pierard-Franchimont C, Paquet P. Hermanns-Le T, Radermacher J, Delvenne P. Cyanoacrylate skin surface strippings and the 3S-Biokit advent in tropical dermatology. A look from Liège. The Scientific World Journal, 2014;214:462634.Google Scholar
  27. Piérard GE, Courtois J, Ritacco C, Humbert P, Fanian F. Pierard-Franchimont C. From observational to analytical morphology of the stratum corneum : progress avoiding hazardous animal and human testings. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2015;8:113–125.Google Scholar
  28. Roberts D, Marks R. The determination of regional and age variations in the rate of desquamation: a comparison of four techniques. J Invest Dermatol. 1980;74:13–6.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  29. Schwarz JC, Klang V, Hoppel M, Wolzt M, Valenta C. Corneocyte quantification by NIR densitometry and UV/Vis spectroscopy for human and porcine skin and the role of skin cleaning procedures. Skin Pharmacol Physiol. 2012;25:142–9.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  30. Shimizu T, Maibach HI. Squamometry: an evaluation method for a barrier protectant (tannic acid). Contact Dermatitis. 1999;40:189–91.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  31. Takahashi M, Machida Y, Marks R. A new apparatus to measure rate of desquamation using dansyl chloride fluorescence. Arch Dermatol Res. 1987;279:281–2.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  32. Uhoda E, Piérard-Franchimont C, Debatisse B, Wang X, Piérard GE. Repair kinetics of stratum corneum under repeated insults. Exog Dermatol. 2004;3:7–11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2017

Authors and Affiliations

  • Gérald E. Piérard
    • 1
    • 2
  • Trinh Hermanns-Lê
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
  • Claudine Piérard-Franchimont
    • 4
  1. 1.Laboratory of Skin Bioengineering and Imaging (LABIC)Liège UniversityLiègeBelgium
  2. 2.Service de DermatopathologieCHU du Sart TilmanLiègeBelgium
  3. 3.Department of Dermatopathology, Unilab LgUniversity Hospital of LiègeLiègeBelgium
  4. 4.Laboratory of Skin Bioengineering and Imaging (LABIC), Department of Clinical SciencesLiège UniversityLiègeBelgium

Personalised recommendations