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Updated: May 10, 2026
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Conditional Reprogramming of Pediatric Human Esophageal Epithelial Cells for Use in Tissue Engineering and Disease Investigation
Published on: March 22, 2017
Skin barrier function in children with eosinophilic esophagitis
Blake Civello1, Renée J Crawford2,3, Cedria Wells2
1University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, Ariz.
The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Global
|March 4, 2026
Summary
Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is linked to esophageal barrier issues, but this study found no significant difference in skin barrier function, measured by transepidermal water loss (TEWL), between EoE patients and controls.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Immunology
- Dermatology
Background:
- Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is characterized by esophageal epithelial barrier dysfunction.
- Altered skin lipidomic profiles suggest potential skin barrier issues in EoE patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate skin barrier function in pediatric subjects with EoE.
- To assess transepidermal water loss (TEWL) as a measure of skin barrier integrity in EoE.
Main Methods:
- A single-center, case-control study compared pediatric EoE patients (n=25) with non-EoE controls (n=24).
- Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) was measured to assess skin barrier function.
- Exclusion criteria included systemic biologic medications or prescription topical corticosteroids.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in TEWL was observed between EoE subjects and controls (median 15.1 vs. 16.9 g/m² per hour, P = .18).
- TEWL did not differ between active EoE (n=10) and inactive EoE (n=14) subjects.
- Subgroup analysis excluding patients with atopic dermatitis showed no difference in TEWL.
Conclusions:
- EoE subjects do not exhibit significant skin barrier dysfunction compared to controls.
- TEWL appears to have limited utility as a biomarker for EoE.
- Larger studies with defined control groups are needed to explore subtle differences in skin barrier function.
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