Epidermal barrier: Adverse and beneficial changes induced by ultraviolet B irradiation depending on the exposure dose and time (Review)

Abstract

Exposure of the skin to ultraviolet (UV) radiation induces various harmful effects in the tissues, particularly disruption of the epidermal barrier. However, ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation has been applied in the treatment of atopic dermatitis, a skin disease in which the epidermal barrier is defective. We reviewed the homeostasis of the epidermal barrier and several studies investigating the adverse and beneficial effects caused by different doses of UVB irradiation in the epidermal barrier. It may be concluded that, despite the harmful effects of UVB irradiation on the skin, UVB irradiation is able to exert beneficial effects in the epidermal barrier when administered in suberythemal doses and over a relatively short period of time, with no clinically evident inflammation or barrier disruption. This may be a useful therapeutic strategy for the use of UVB irradiation in the treatment of skin diseases with a disrupted epidermal barrier, such as atopic dermatitis, while reducing or avoiding the side-effects.

An Innovative Complex of Benzene-Poly-Carboxylic Acid and Molybdenum, for Prevention and Treatment of Radiation Dermatitis

“…No effect on overall survival, progression-free survival or on local control was observed. Irradiation given in a single high dose or in sub-erythemal doses for 14 days have been demonstrated to exert negative effects on the epidermal barrier, leading to barrier disruption [24]. In contrast, low doses of irradiation exert positive effects on the epidermal barrier, without clinically evident inflammation or barrier disruption.…”

“…Acute injury, which occurs within hours to weeks after radiation exposure, results from immediate structural tissue damage, generation of short-lived free radicals [24], irreversible double-stranded breaks in nuclear and mitochondrial DNA, and initiation of an inflammatory response in the epidermis and dermis [18][19][20][21]. Repeated exposure to low-dose ionizing radiation does not allow time for cells to repair DNA or tissue damage.…”

Epidermal Barrier: Negative Changes in Atopic Dermatitis and Positive Changes Induced by Short-term Suberythemal Ultraviolet B Irradiation

“…Moreover, there was no clinically evident inflammation or barrier disruption [59]. Another study using 0.5 MED of UVB irradiation for 3 days prior to tape-stripping showed significantly accelerated barrier recovery rates [6,59].…”

“…Therefore, in the UVB treatment, the skin type of the patients also determines the treatment dose. Exposure dose is an important factor in determining the effects of UVB exposure since UV-induced DNA damage and barrier disruption increase linearly with increasing dose [6,58].…”

“…However, UVB irradiation on the skin is known to induce disruption of the epidermal barrier [5,6], and AD is characterized by a defective skin barrier [7]. Moreover, long-term and/or high dose of UVB irradiation can damage the barrier function [6].…”