The filaggrin system's importance for skin reaction to irritants
Recent studies have focused on a particular protein in the skin, filaggrin (filament aggregating protein), FLG, in connection with eczema. FLG is found in the outermost layer of skin and is important for the skin barrier. Patients who have mutations in the gene coding for FLG will have partial or complete lack of this protein in their skin, causing a less effective skin barrier.
FLG mutations are frequent - approx. one in ten Danes have a mutation. Among those with atopic eczema the prevalence is however up to 50 percent. FLG mutations are thus an important factor in the genetic predisposition to eczema.
Many are at work exposed to irritants such as detergents in liquid soaps, but the interaction between this exposure and genotype - in the form of FLG mutation and eczema - are only sparsely described.
The purpose of this study is to investigate the link between mutations in the FLG gene and the level of the FLG protein in the skin, the skin's sensitivity to an irritant and the skin's ability to regenerate. Furthermore it is studied whether there is a greater incidence of hand eczema in people exposed to irritants among those with FLG mutations than those who do not have FLG mutations.
The research carried out by MD, PhD-fellow Josefine Bandier from the National Allergy Research Centre.
Hand eczema, allergies & skin barrier
A normal skin barrier is the main protection against eczema. New genetic tests can identify persons who have a congenital skin barrier defect, ie. mutations, that result in certain proteins not being produced normally in the skin. These individuals may have a particularly poor prognosis.
The new analysis has so far only been performed abroad, but will as part of this project also be performed in Denmark at the Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Gentofte University Hospital.
The importance of this particular, but frequent defect in the skin for the emergence of all types of allergies, the severity of hand eczema and the prognosis will be identified in patient-and population studies.
The research is carried out by senior researcher, PhD Jacob Thyssen and Professor Jeanne Duus Johansen from the National Allergy Research Centre in collaboration with Professor Torkil Menné and MD, PhD Berit Carlsen from Dermato-allergological department at Gentofte Hospital, Senior Researcher Michael Melgaard, Chief physician Pal B. Szecsi, Professor Steen Stender, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Gentofte Hospital, and Dr. Allan Linneberg, Research Centre for Prevention and Health and specialist in dermatology, Professor Niels Veien.
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