Quantitative skin blanching assay of corticosteroid creams using tristimulus colour analysis

The potencies of four proprietary corticosteroid creams were ranked using blanching measured by a tristimulus colour analyser as an index. Intra-subject variation was measured in a trial using a single subject while in a second study inter-subject variation was quantified using six volunteers. Discriminative parameters were derived from the extended multiple-point chromaticity coordinates L* and a* recorded after application of the steroid creams under occlusion. Analysis of variance of the data using the linear regression model was followed by Tukey's multiple comparison tests. Ranking of the creams using parameters of the pharmacodynamic response corresponded with the generally accepted rank order of the potencies of the corticosteroid creams. It is proposed that this multiple-point skin blanching assay of topical corticosteroids using an internationally accepted clear measurement standard and the subsequent data analysis be adopted as a standard protocol.