22 Jul Non-Invasive Skin Biopsy Can Distinguish Eczema from Psoriasis
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Guttman-Yassky
Emma Guttman-Yassky, MD, PhD
Professor of Dermatology and Immunology
Vice Chair of the Department of Dermatology
Icahn School of Medicine
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What is the importance of differentiating these two skin conditions?
Response: The background is that up to now skin biopsies were considered the gold standard for obtaining skin biomarkers of atopic dermatitis/AD and psoriasis that are linked to disease activity in skin and for obtaining the cutaneous gene and protein expression fingerprint of each individual disease. Biopsies are also used in clinical trials to obtain the skin phenotype. However biopsies are invasive, painful and scarring. Thus we need less invasive means to profile diseases and obtain biomarkers. Tape strips is a minimally invasive approach to sample and study the skin. However, prior studies using tape strips could not fully capture the phenotype of the diseases and also sampling the recovery rate was less than optimal, not allowing this approach to be widely used. Psoriasis and AD are the most common inflammatory skin diseases, but these diseases are treated very differently and in some cases are very difficult to differentiate between them clinically and even in biopsies.
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings?
Response: We managed to obtain for the first time almost 100% sample recovery rate in tape strips, as well as a cutaneous profile of atopic dermatitis and psoriasis that are very similar to that obtained in skin biopsies. Further, we identified a single biomarker that differentiates between these diseases, iNOS, that even in skin biopsies was not possible (two biomarkers were needed).
MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?
Response: That in the future it may be possible using a single tape to differentiate psoriasis and atopic dermatitis in a minimal invasive way and that tape strips may be useful for clinical trials and longitudinal studies.
MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this work?
Response: Non invasive biomarkers should be explored together with biopsies to understand disease mechanisms.
No disclosures
Citation:
Tape strips detect distinct immune and barrier profiles in atopic dermatitis and psoriasis
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Last Updated on July 22, 2020 by Marie Benz MD FAAD