MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Jessica S. Mounessa, BS
University of Colorado School of Medicine
Aurora, Colorado and
Robert Dellavalle, MD, PhD, MSPH
Professor of Dermatology and Public Health
University of Colorado School of Medicine
Colorado School of Public Health
Chief, Dermatology Service
US Department of Veterans Affairs
Eastern Colorado Health Care System
Denver, CO 80220
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: One in 10 adult cannabis users in the U.S. use it for medicinal purposes. Medicinal cannabis is well studied for its uses in chronic pain, anorexia, and nausea. Numerous recent studies have highlighted other medicinal uses for cannabinoids and related compounds.
We conducted a comprehensive review of the literature on the potential role of cannabinoids in conditions affecting the skin.
Our study reveals the potential benefit of topically prepared
cannabinoid compounds, especially for pruritus and eczema. For example, creams containing Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), which enhances cannabinoid-receptor binding, have been successful in relieving itch both in the literature, and anecdotally in our clinics.
Though not strictly considered an endocannabinoid, as it does not directly bind to CB1 and CB2 receptors, PEA works by enhancing endocannabinoid binding to these receptors.** Furthermore, the majority of the cannabinoid compounds we studied did not contain psychoactive effects.
Dr. Jonathan Silverberg[/caption]
Dr. Jonathan L. Silverberg MD PhD MPH
Assistant Professor in Dermatology
Medical Social Sciences and Preventive Medicine
Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Bleach baths have become widely used in clinical practice for the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD). However, there have been conflicting results about the efficacy of bleach baths across different studies. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine whether bleach baths are consistently effective in decreasing the severity of atopic dermatitis.
Bleach baths were shown to be effective at reducing AD severity in all 4 of the included studies. However, when comparing bleach baths vs. regular water baths, only 2 found significantly greater decreases in atopic dermatitis severity with bleach baths, 1 found greater decreases with water baths, and 1 found no significant differences. There were 15 different severity assessment evaluations across studies at 4 weeks: only 3 assessments demonstrated that bleach baths were more effective than water baths, 11 reported no difference, and 1 reported regular water baths to be more effective. In pooled meta-analyses, there were no significant differences observed between bleach vs water baths at 4 weeks vs baseline for the Eczema Area and Severity Index or body surface area. Finally, there were no differences of Staphylococcus aureus density, other bacteriological assessments or skin infection rates between bleach vs. water baths.
