Noninvasive Skin Surface Sampling Identifies Elevated IL-1β and IL-6 in Paediatric Atopic Dermatitis Patients

Despite extensive research, the molecular signature in atopic dermatitis (AD) remains underexplored. While previous studies have explored the expressions of pro-inflammatory markers in AD skin using biopsies and tape-stripping techniques, non-invasive sampling from the skin surface in pediatricpaediatric AD patients has not been examined. This study aimed to identify and compare cytokine expression on the skin surface of children with AD and healthy controls. We enrolled 50 children, 40 with mild -to -moderate AD and 10 without AD as controls. Samples were collected using sticky bandages soaked in sterile phosphate-buffered saline, and concentrations of 15 cytokines were measured by a multiplex immunoassay. The effect of various factors on cytokine expression was assessed by redundancy analysis (RDA), while significance among groups was identified by factorial ANOVA. We found higher levels of IL-1β in non-lesional areas of AD patients compared to healthy subjects and increased expression of IL-1β and IL-6 in lesional areas compared to non-lesional skin. Factors such as skin folds and sex were found to affect cytokine secretion. This study demonstrates the feasibility of non-invasive cytokine sampling from the skin surface in pediatricpaediatric AD patients. It underscores its potential for identifying additional biomarkers, complementing research on deeper skin layers.