An observational study in Dermatitis Hand, Skin Abnormalities and Atopic Dermatitis, sponsored by National Jewish Health. Status unknown at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 60 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2021-03-02.
Sponsored by National Jewish Health · Observational
Hand washing and the use of hand sanitizers are important interventions in disease prevention. Engaging in frequent hand washing is especially effective in preventing the spread of viruses, as this removes microbes and prevents the spread to others. Hand dermatitis, however, is a common occurrence in certain occupations, such as healthcare workers. With the onset of the SARS-CoV2 (COVID-19) pandemic, hand hygiene measures are further enforced as there is no cure or vaccine for this virus.
In the study, the effects of hand washing and the use of hand sanitizer on skin proteins and lipids will be assessed.
Hand washing and the use of hand sanitizers are important interventions in disease prevention. Engaging in frequent hand washing is especially effective in preventing the spread of viruses, as this removes microbes and prevents the spread to others. Hand dermatitis, however, is a common occurrence in certain occupations, such as healthcare workers. With the onset of the SARS-CoV2 (COVID-19) pandemic, hand hygiene measures are further enforced as there is no cure or vaccine for this virus.
The stratum corneum is in the outer layer of the epidermis, and it contains several proteins and lipids that are important for skin health. This skin layer can be disrupted by agents that cause skin dryness and irritation, resulting in a dysfunctional skin barrier when there is loss of filaggrin breakdown products, also referred to as natural moisturizing factor (NMF), and lipids. This then leads to the unwanted dermatologic effects of skin dermatitis, and in some patients, contact dermatitis. While it is known that frequent hand washing and hand sanitizer use causes hand dermatitis, the effects on skin barrier proteins and lipids has not been studied.
In this study, the effects of hand washing and the use of hand sanitizer on epidermal proteins and lipids will be assessed. The skin barrier will be examined with skin tape strips (STS) and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) before and after topical skin exposure to hand sanitizer use and hand washing. Questionnaires will be administered to inquire about allergy history, frequency of hand washing, and use of detergents and soaps.
39 studies on the registry are indexed under Skin Abnormalities; 7 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 40 is below the median of 140 across 11 observational studies indexed under Skin Abnormalities.
Browse Skin Abnormalities studies →National Jewish Health is the lead sponsor of 109 studies on the registry; 14 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Subjects will have either atopic dermatitis or no history of atopic conditions.
Inclusion Criteria:
Inclusion criteria of the AD group:
Inclusion criteria of the non-atopic group, ages 18-60 years old:
Exclusion Criteria:
Exclusion criteria of all subjects:
For the medications below, they have to be temporarily withheld before participation in the study:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
A weakened immune system. It can come from an illness, such as HIV or some blood cancers, or from medicines that turn the immune system down, for example after an organ transplant or for an autoimmune disease; steroids at higher doses count.
Read whether the line is about a condition or about medicines, and which medicines and doses it means.
Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.
Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.
A drug or device being studied in a clinical trial.
It may be new, or already approved and being studied for another use, dose or form. Criteria often leave out people who took part in another study of one within a recent period, commonly 30 days or five half-lives.
Immunosuppression
A weakened immune system. It can come from an illness, such as HIV or some blood cancers, or from medicines that turn the immune system down, for example after an organ transplant or for an autoimmune disease; steroids at higher doses count.
Read whether the line is about a condition or about medicines, and which medicines and doses it means.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Corticosteroids (steroids)
Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.
Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Investigational drug or device
A drug or device being studied in a clinical trial.
It may be new, or already approved and being studied for another use, dose or form. Criteria often leave out people who took part in another study of one within a recent period, commonly 30 days or five half-lives.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Individuals with no history of atopic dermatitis, food allergy, asthma, or allergic rhinitis will be recruited to this cohort. Skin studies (transepidermal water loss and skin tape strips) will be performed on the non-dominant hand at baseline, after hand sanitizer use, and after hand washing with soap and water.
Other: Hand sanitizer and hand washing
Individuals with history of atopic dermatitis will be recruited to this cohort. Skin studies (transepidermal water loss and skin tape strips) will be performed on the non-dominant hand at baseline, after hand sanitizer use, and after hand washing with soap and water.
Other: Hand sanitizer and hand washing
All subjects will cleanse their hands with hand sanitizer, followed by hand washing with soap and water
Measure the change in transepidermal water loss and skin components after using hand sanitizer.
Skin barrier assessments at baseline, then after hand sanitizer use will be performed. Analysis of skin filaggrin breakdown products, lipid profiles, and transepidermal water loss will be compared.
Time frame: Through study completion, up to 1 year
Measure the change in transepidermal water loss and skin components after hand washing with soap and water.
Skin barrier assessments after hand washing with soap and water will be performed. Analysis of skin filaggrin breakdown products, lipid profiles, and transepidermal water loss will be compared.
Time frame: Through study completion, up to 1 year
Individual reporting of hand dryness and environmental exposures
Questionnaires will capture symptoms of hand dryness, frequency of hand washing, and other environmental exposures. This data will be compared to the degree of transepidermal water loss and skin barrier findings.
Time frame: Through study completion, up to 1 year
Plan to share: No
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Started Dec 2020 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Aug 2021, 8 months after the start.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
This study is status unknown, as verified in Mar 2021. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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