Introduction: Pregnancy is a particular physiological state inducing major changes to the woman skin. Previous work showed that areas like abdomen, subjected to a high mechanical stress, are greatly impacted from a mechanical point of view. Other properties of this area are certainly impacted, among which the hydration and the barrier function. The goal of our study is to evaluate the impact of pregnancy on these two properties on the abdomen using a non invasive biochemical approach. Methods: A clinical study has been conducted on 15 nonpregnant women and 26 pregnant women at the 8 th month of pregnancy and 4 months after delivery. Skin surface samples have been collected from the abdomen using swab technique. Natural Moisturizing Factors (NMF) quantity and ceramide content have been quantified by LC/UV and LC/MS respectively. Results: Concerning the hydration state, the results show that the amount of NMF is significantly lower in pregnant women than in non-pregnant women. In pregnant women after delivery, NMF quantity tended to be lower than in non pregnant women, although not significantly. Our results also show that the amount of ceramides was significantly lower in pregnant women than in non pregnant women, and remained significantly lower after delivery. Conclusion: The abdomen skin is critically affected by the pregnancy state. Skin hydration and barrier function tended to be affected not only during pregnancy but also 4 months after delivery.

Despite intensive efforts there are still no good mouse models for psoriasis (Ps) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Although this partly reflects the differences between human and mouse skin, it is also because no bona-fide targets have been identified for genetic manipulation. The Bowcock lab identified gain-of-function, dominantly acting mutations, within CARD14 in human psoriasis patients that lead to Mendelian forms of Ps and PsA. CARD14 is expressed in keratinocytes and some immune cells and Ps/Psa associated mutations enhance NFKB activation. This suggests that these alterations in mice should lead to phenotypes that are similar to those seen in humans. We hypothesized that the G117S mutation would lead to inflammation of the skin and joints resembling Ps and PsA and that an E138A mutation would lead to a severe skin inflammation, similar to the child with pustular psoriasis in whom this mutation was first detected. Knockin mutations revealed clinically normal mice with the G117S mutation (B6N;129S4-Card14 tm1.1Sun ). Mutations in E138A (Card14 tm2.1Sun ) resulted in mice with thick scaly skin that died within the first week of life due to atrial septal defects in the heart. A subline was established that did survive to over 300 days of age with psoriasiform dermatitis but without pustules, possibly due to the high health status of the colonies. Crosses with other strains resulted in stable stocks on an FVB/NJ cross but not with C3H/HeJ, CBA/J, or 129S1/SvlmJ. These results verify that the E138A mutation has a potential role in epidermal hyperplasia and that its expression is under regulation of major modifier genes yet to be determined.

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Introduction: Pregnancy is a particular physiological state inducing major changes to the woman skin. Previous work showed that areas like abdomen, subjected to a high mechanical stress, are greatly impacted from a mechanical point of view. Other properties of this area are certainly impacted, among which the hydration and the barrier function. The goal of our study is to evaluate the impact of pregnancy on these two properties on the abdomen using a non invasive biochemical approach. Methods: A clinical study has been conducted on 15 nonpregnant women and 26 pregnant women at the 8 th month of pregnancy and 4 months after delivery. Skin surface samples have been collected from the abdomen using swab technique. Natural Moisturizing Factors (NMF) quantity and ceramide content have been quantified by LC/UV and LC/MS respectively. Results: Concerning the hydration state, the results show that the amount of NMF is significantly lower in pregnant women than in non-pregnant women. In pregnant women after delivery, NMF quantity tended to be lower than in non pregnant women, although not significantly. Our results also show that the amount of ceramides was significantly lower in pregnant women than in non pregnant women, and remained significantly lower after delivery. Conclusion: The abdomen skin is critically affected by the pregnancy state. Skin hydration and barrier function tended to be affected not only during pregnancy but also 4 months after delivery.