Exploring the influence of skin perfusion on transepidermal water loss

Background: Eventual relationships between the vascular function and transepidermal water loss (TEWL), in vivo, have not been entirely explored. By promoting local perfusion alterations through a well-known challenge test, the 'tourniquet-cuff occlusion' manoeuvre, the present study searches for other dynamical factors influencing the cutaneous barrier, further exploring the applicability of these flow-related variables in dermatological research. Methods: By applying the tourniquet-cuff manoeuvre to a group of healthy volunteers (n=20), transcutaneous (tc) gases (pO(2)-pCO(2)), LDF (laser doppler flowmetry) and TEWL were considered as representing the dynamical aspects under study and measured non-invasively. Results and conclusion: An haemodynamical relationship between tcpO(2) and LDF in the post-occlusive period was clearly identified, defining the autoregulatory index as a numerical descriptor of the local metabolic-flow adjustment under stress. TEWL was also significantly affected by the manoeuvre, especially during the post-occlusive period, although no significant relationships between TEWL and other tc variables could be found. The present findings seem to suggest that, under the present experimental conditions, local haemodynamics may also influence TEWL measurements and the skin barrier.