Dry eye and dry skin - is there a connection?

Abstract Aim: To enquire whether patients with dry eye symptoms also report dry skin, whether their perception could be corroborated with objective measurement, and whether dry eye disease might be suspected based on patients' anamnesis.Methods: This cross-sectional study included 50 subjects (25 with and 25 without dry eye symptoms). Schein questionnaire was used to determine the severity of dry eye symptoms. Ocular signs were assessed by conjunctival hyperemia, ocular surface staining, Meibomian gland expression, tear film lipid layer thickness, tear break-up time, lid parallel conjunctival folds, Schirmer test, and meibometry. Skin dryness was assessed by patients' perception of their facial skin dryness and measured by sebumeter.Results: Subjects without dry eye symptoms had self-reported oilier facial skin than those with dry eye symptoms (p<0.001). Sebumetry scores measured on the forehead and cheek were significantly higher in subjects without dry eye symptoms than dry eye subjects (p=0.003). After adjustment for age and gender in a logistic regression analysis, dry eye was independently and significantly associated with dry skin (AOR 0.69, p=0.040), higher LIPCOF score of both eyes (AOR 2.28, p=0.028), lower sebumetry score of the forehead (AOR 0.98, p=0.041) and cheek (AOR 0.98, p=0.041), and shorter TBUT score after gland expression (AOR 0.90, p=0.018). Conclusion: This study showed that ocular dryness was subjectively and objectively positively correlated to facial skin dryness - patients reliably described their skin condition: people with dry facial skin also had drier eyes.

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Changes in corneocyte element concentrations occur in skin inner stratum corneum

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100134326 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 48 (2) ◽

pp. 146-147

Author(s):

R. R. Warner

Keyword(s):

Stratum Corneum ◽

Human Skin ◽

Element Concentration ◽

Skin Barrier ◽

Barrier Properties ◽

Brick Wall ◽

Inorganic Elements ◽

Dry Skin ◽

Skin Biopsies ◽

Intercellular Lipid

Keratinocytes undergo maturation during their transit through the viable layers of skin, and then abruptly transform into flattened, anuclear corneocytes that constitute the cellular component of the skin barrier, the stratum corneum (SC). The SC is generally considered to be homogeneous in its structure and barrier properties, and is often shown schematically as a featureless brick wall, the “bricks” being the corneocytes, the “mortar” being intercellular lipid. Previously we showed the outer SC was not homogeneous in its composition, but contained steep gradients of the physiological inorganic elements Na, K and Cl, likely originating from sweat salts. Here we show the innermost corneocytes in human skin are also heterogeneous in composition, undergoing systematic changes in intracellular element concentration during transit into the interior of the SC.Human skin biopsies were taken from the lower leg of individuals with both “good” and “dry” skin and plunge-frozen in a stirred, cooled isopentane/propane mixture.

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Pyrotechnic Residues in Gunshot Residue Analysis

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100117649 ◽

1985 ◽

Vol 43 ◽

pp. 128-129

Author(s):

H. M. Sagara ◽

S. A. Schliebe ◽

M. C. Kong

Keyword(s):

Law Enforcement ◽

Residue Analysis ◽

Gunshot Residue ◽

Particle Analysis ◽

Dry Skin ◽

X Ray ◽

Skin Cells ◽

Smokeless Powder ◽

Carbon Coated ◽

Detailed List

Particle analysis by scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive x- ray analysis is one of the current methods used in crime laboratories to aid law enforcement in identifying individuals who have recently fired or handled a firearm. During the discharge of a firearm, the high pressure caused by the detonation of the cartridge materials forces a portion of the generated gases through leaks in the firing mechanism of the weapon. These gases contain residues of smokeless powder, primer mixture, and contributions from the projectile itself. The condensation of these hot gases form discrete, micrometer-sized particles, which can be collected, along with dry skin cells, salts, and other hand debris, from the hands of a shooter by a simple adhesive lift technique. The examination of the carbon-coated adhesive lifts consist of time consuming systematic searches for high contrast particles of spherical morphology with the characteristic elemental composition of antimony, barium and lead. A detailed list of the elemental compositions which match the criteria for gunshot residue are discussed in the Aerospace report.

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