Doctors told about a new method of diagnosis of atopic dermatitis

The V.A. Rakhmanov Clinic of Skin and Venereal Diseases and the Institute of Regenerative Medicine of Sechenov University tested the method of "tape stripping" for the diagnosis and monitoring of the effectiveness of therapy for atopic dermatitis. Researchers from Sechenov University told Izvestia about this on World Atopic Dermatitis Day, which is celebrated on September 14.

Anna Bratkovskaya, an assistant at the V.A. Rakhmanov Department of Skin and Venereal Diseases at Sechenov University, explained that biopsy remains the "gold standard" for the study of skin diseases, but it is an invasive procedure with possible scarring and the risk of secondary infection. Dynamic observation sometimes requires repeated collection of material, so researchers are looking for minimally invasive techniques.

"We have applied an innovative approach to diagnosis — the "tape stripping" method, in which cellular material of the stratum corneum is obtained from the skin surface using a special tape that is attached to the skin for 10 seconds, after which it is removed in layers. The technique is widely used abroad as an addition to standard biopsy, while there are few comparable research papers in Russian clinical practice," Bratkovskaya said.

Alexey Fayzullin, PhD, Head of the Laboratory of Digital Microscopic Analysis at the Institute of Regenerative Medicine at Sechenov University, noted the technological complexity of the project. He noted that the main technological problem of the project was the need to remove the cells from the tape as carefully as possible and place them on a slide without destroying them. The existing commercially available tape stripping kit did not have the adhesive properties necessary for the study.

"We have developed an original technique that in the future will allow dermatologists to conduct research using inexpensive materials that are at hand," said Fayzullin.

Cell tags: proteins of the "death program" will help create drugs for diabetes and cancer

How can the data on these compounds be used to select personal therapy

The method allows obtaining stratum corneum material suitable for quantifying biomarkers of the skin barrier and inflammation — proteins, lipids, cytokines. With specialized protocols, the analysis of RNA transcripts is possible. This expands the possibilities of the clinic and research: it helps to clarify the diagnosis, stratify the severity, track the response to therapy and select personalized approaches. For the patient, the procedure is painless and does not leave scars, with a maximum of short—term redness.

The new method has already been used to evaluate the effectiveness of basic moisturizing therapy for atopic dermatitis, a disease that affects 204 million inhabitants of the planet. According to the latest world literature data, one of the main causes of this disease is a genetically determined deficiency of the filagrin protein, which is responsible for the structural integrity of the skin barrier, its hydration and antimicrobial protection of the skin.

Minimally invasive collection of material also helps to distinguish between similar phenotypes of inflammatory dermatoses and track specific cytokine/biomarker panels, which is especially important when the clinical picture is similar.

Earlier, on November 26, Lidiya Belova, a trichologist, told Izvestia about the prevention of hair loss after childbirth. She explained that the abundant postpartum hair loss is explained by the different amount of initial resources of the body — first of all, during pregnancy they go to the benefit of the fetus, and the mother is already on a residual basis. Therefore, it is necessary to focus on ensuring that there are enough nutrients for both mother and child.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.