Minimally-invasive Sampling of Interleukin-1α and Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist from the Skin: A Systematic Review of In vivo Studies in Humans

Abstract

Interleukin-1α (IL-1α) and its receptor antagonist IL-1RA play a pivotal role in skin homeostasis and disease. Although the use of biopsies to sample these cytokines from human skin is widely employed in dermatological practice, knowledge about less invasive, in vivo sampling methods is scarce. The aim of this study was to provide an overview of such methods by systematically reviewing studies in Medline, EMBASE, Web of Science and Cochrane Library using combinations of the terms "IL-1α", IL-1RA", "skin", "human", including all possible synonyms. Quality was assessed using the STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) checklist. The search, performed on 14 October 2016, revealed 10 different sampling methods, with varying degrees of invasiveness and wide application spectrum, including assessment of both normal and diseased skin, from several body sites. The possibility to sample quantifiable amounts of cytokines from human skin with no or minimal discomfort holds promise for linking clinical outcomes to molecular profiles of skin inflammation.

A novel human ex vivo skin model to study early local responses to burn injuries

“…In addition to the proinflammatory mediators, we analyzed expression levels of IL1RN which is a natural inhibitor of IL1 signaling. IL1RN has been described to be co-regulated with IL1B and IL1A in response to skin injuries 14 and increased Figure 5. Local inflammatory response after burn injury.…”

“…HSPA4 (former HSP70) 6 or SERPINH1 (former HSP47) 7 , the transcription factor HIF1A (hypoxia inducible factor 1 subunit alpha) 8 , as well as KRT17 (keratin 17) 9,10 . Numerous pro-and anti-inflammatory mediators such as the interleukins IL1B, IL6 11,12 , C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 8 (CXCL8; former IL8) 13 , and IL1 receptor antagonist (IL1RN; former IL1RA) 14 , are produced in a strictly regulated but highly dynamic manner. Moreover, factors involved in angiogenesis, such as vascular endothelial growth factor alpha (VEGFA) 15 , CXCL12 (former stromal-derived factor 1, SDF-1) 16 , fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2, former bFGF) 17,18 or leptin (LEP) [19][20][21][22] are deregulated upon burn injury.…”

Clinical and Instrumental Exploration of Sensitive Skin in a Pediatric Population

“…Keratinocytes produce not only IL-1α but also the receptor antagonist IL-1RA [29]. An appropriate balance between IL-1α and IL-1RA helps to maintain homeostasis and to regulate inflammation [29,30]. An elevated IL-1RA/IL-1α ratio was reported in inflammatory skin diseases [31] and subsequent stress [29][30][31][32].…”

The static friction behaviour of skin with relevance to pressure ulcer prevalence

“…Sebutape (CuDerm, Dallas, USA) was applied to collect sebum from the skin (Figure 21). In a review of minimally invasive sampling techniques by Falcone et al, they mention that only biomarkers at the skin surface are collected and that these biomarkers compete with sebum to be adsorbed [118]. The latter problem is dealt with by employing a short collection time, while the first shortcoming is acceptable, because as a result no invasive measures are needed.…”