Cited by 488Dermatology and Skin DiseasesAdvancements in Transdermal Drug DeliveryContact Dermatitis and Allergies

Increase in short-chain ceramides correlates with an altered lipid organization and decreased barrier function in atopic eczema patients

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Janssens, Michelle, van Smeden, Jeroen, Gooris, Gert S., Bras, Wim, Portale, Guiseppe, Caspers, Peter J., Vreeken, Rob J., Hankemeier, Thomas +4 more·2012·Journal of Lipid Research

Abstract

A hallmark of atopic eczema (AE) is skin barrier dysfunction. Lipids in the stratum corneum (SC), primarily ceramides, fatty acids, and cholesterol, are crucial for the barrier function, but their role in relation to AE is indistinct. Filaggrin is an epithelial barrier protein with a central role in the pathogenesis of AE. Nevertheless, the precise causes of AE-associated barrier dysfunction are largely unknown. In this study, a comprehensive analysis of ceramide composition and lipid organization in nonlesional SC of AE patients and control subjects was performed by means of mass spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. In addition, the skin barrier and clinical state of the disease were examined. The level of ceramides with an extreme short chain length is drastically increased in SC of AE patients, which leads to an aberrant lipid organization and a decreased skin barrier function. Changes in SC lipid properties correlate with disease severity but are independent of filaggrin mutations. We demonstrate for the first time that changes in ceramide chain length and lipid organization are directly correlated with the skin barrier defects in nonlesional skin of AE patients. We envisage that these insights will provide a new therapeutic entry in therapy and prevention of AE.

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Crossref · 10.1194/jlr.p030338

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  • In cases of AD, there is a decreased amount of ceramides and those present are shorter.

    “In cases of AD, there is a decreased amount of ceramides and those present are shorter.”

    From Update on the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis. (2024) · cites this paper as [55]

    The ceramide-analysis results report a significantly shorter average ceramide chain length in nonlesional atopic eczema skin. But the same section reports no significant difference in total ceramide level between patients and controls, so the claimed decrease in amount is not supported. (LLM, conf=0.92)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • The lipid matrix of the stratum corneum is defective in AD skin due to an alteration in the expression of enzymes involved in the synthesis and processing of free fatty acids and ceramides.

    “The lipid matrix of the stratum corneum is defective in AD skin due to an alteration in the expression of enzymes involved in the synthesis and processing of free fatty acids and ceramides.”

    From Update on the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis. (2024) · cites this paper as [55]

    The Abstract reports altered ceramide chain length and lipid organization in nonlesional atopic eczema skin, associated with reduced barrier function. In the discussion section on altered ceramide composition and lipid organization, the authors hypothesize that an imbalance in elongase activity may explain the ceramide changes. They do not establish altered enzyme expression or show that it causes defects in the synthesis and processing of both free fatty acids and ceramides. Page numbers were not provided in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • The composition of ceramide classes/species in the human stratum corneum has previously been analyzed using LC/MS.

    “The composition of ceramide classes/species in the human SC has previously been analyzed using LC/MS (5-7, 16, 17, 29, 30).”

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Authors
Janssens, M., van Smeden, J., Gooris, G. S., Bras, W., Portale, G., Caspers, P. J., Vreeken, R. J., Hankemeier, T., Kezic, S., Wolterbeek, R., Lavrijsen, A. P., & Bouwstra, J. A.
Affiliations
  • Leiden University (NL)
  • Dutch Research Council (NL)
  • Erasmus MC (NL)
  • Leiden University Medical Center (NL)
Corresponding author
Bouwstra, Joke A.
Venue
Journal of Lipid Research
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2012-12
Volume
53
Issue
12
Pages
2755-2766
ISSN
0022-2275 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2130942098
Cited by
488
References
75
Citations by year
2026: 31 · 2025: 37 · 2024: 47 · 2023: 30 · 2022: 36 · 2021: 42 · 2020: 39 · 2019: 41 · 2018: 37 · 2017: 32 · 2016: 32 · 2015: 28 · 2014: 33 · 2013: 20
FWCI
32.43
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Lipid Research (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • EUR Research Repository (Erasmus University Rotterdam) (publishedVersion)
  • Leiden Repository (Leiden University) (submittedVersion)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
  • EUR Research Repository (Erasmus University Rotterdam) (submittedVersion)
  • RePub (Erasmus University Rotterdam) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Pure Amsterdam UMC (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
  • H2020 European Research Council
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Dermatology › Dermatology and Skin Diseases
  • Life Sciences › Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics › Pharmaceutical Science › Advancements in Transdermal Drug Delivery
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Dermatology › Contact Dermatitis and Allergies
Keywords
atopic dermatitis, short-chain ceramides, skin barrier dysfunction, stratum corneum lipids, lipid organization, filaggrin, non-lesional skin, disease severity
MeSH terms
Filaggrin Proteins, Adult, Ceramides, Dermatitis, Atopic, Female, Genotype, Humans, Intermediate Filament Proteins, Male, Mutation, Molecular Structure, Lipid Metabolism

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