pH of the skin surface in patients with atopic dermatitis

Aim To assess the skin barrier function in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) by measuring skin surface pH on the skin with lesions, perilesional skin and healthy skin and the skin of healthy control group.Methods The study included eighty patients, forty young and adult patients with AD and forty controls of healthy patients of the corresponding age. Skin surface pH was measured in the upper area of the forearm by pH-meter pH900, Courage & Khazaka, Germany.Results pH values (mean standard deviation) on AD patients were 6.15 0.45 at lesional skin, 5.88 0.39 at perilesional skin, 5.55 0.40 on healthy skin of AD patients and 5.23 0.38 in the control group on healthy skin. The pH values of the skin with lesions were significantly high compared to perilesional skin as well as healthy skin. The same assessment was applied to the relationship between perilesional and healthy skin. According to the results, healthy skin of the patients with AD had significantly higher pH values compared to the control group.Conclusion The results of this study lead to the conclusion that the barrier function of the skin in AD patients was degraded, which was specifically noticable in the skin with lesions.