TY - JOUR
T1 - Exploring the potential of stratum corneum biomarkers for assessing psychological distress in health care workers
T2 - An observational pilot study
AU - Emal, Lima M.
AU - Tamminga, Sietske J.
AU - Schaafsma, Frederieke G.
AU - Jakasa, Ivone
AU - Peremin, Ines
AU - Kirschbaum, Clemens
AU - van der Molen, Henk F.
AU - Kezic, Sanja
N1 - Funding Information: We would like to acknowledge and thank Dr. Ehsan Motazedi for his contribution to the statistical analyses and the interpretation of the analyses. This study was internally funded by Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam. L. M. E., S. J. T., F. G. S., and H. v. d. M. and S. K. declare that there was no involvement of Amsterdam UMC in the study design, data collection, data analysis, interpretation of results, writing of the study, or the decision to submit for publication. All aspects of the research, including the study design and reporting process, were conducted independently by the authors without any external influence or financial interest. Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Authors. Health Science Reports published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
PY - 2024/1/1
Y1 - 2024/1/1
N2 - Backgrounds: The detection of biomarkers of a stress response in the stratum corneum (SC) could be used as objective assessment of early stress symptoms and monitoring of stress reduction interventions in health care workers (HCWs). Aim: The aim of this study is to explore SC biomarkers of immune and hormonal response and skin barrier for assessment of psychological distress (PD) in HCWs. Methods: Twenty-five female HCWs and 25 non-HCWs participated. SC samples were collected using adhesive tapes at baseline and 3−5 days later (T1). We analyzed 24 biomarkers (immunological, vascular, hormones, and natural moisturizing factors). Stress symptoms were assessed using three scales of Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire. The study involved: identifying SC biomarkers, correlating stress symptoms and biomarkers at baseline and T1, examining stress symptoms between the groups with a Mann-Whitney test, comparing stress symptoms and biomarkers between groups using Ordinary Least Regression and investigating temporal variability of SC biomarkers at baseline and T1 using a Wilcoxon-signed rank. Results: Fourteen SC biomarkers were identified. We found correlations between general stress and “IL18” (r = 0.55) physical stress and “IL1b” (r = 0.36) and cognitive stress and “MIP3a” (r = 0.38) at baseline and general stress and cortisol (r = −0.49), physical stress and cortisol (r = −0.60) and cortisone (r = −0.67) at T1. We found no differences in stress symptoms and biomarkers between the groups, except for “MIP3a” at baseline. Differences in the biomarker levels between two time points were found for “TARC,” “VEGFA,” “ILRA,” “IL1RA/IL1a,” “NMF,” and “DHEA.”. Conclusion: The SC can be suitable biological material to assess biomarkers related to immune response, hormonal response, and skin barrier function. The SC biomarkers, showed strong, moderate and weak correlations with stress symptoms. Notably, these associations include cytokines of innate immunity and well-known stress hormones, cortisol and cortisone.
AB - Backgrounds: The detection of biomarkers of a stress response in the stratum corneum (SC) could be used as objective assessment of early stress symptoms and monitoring of stress reduction interventions in health care workers (HCWs). Aim: The aim of this study is to explore SC biomarkers of immune and hormonal response and skin barrier for assessment of psychological distress (PD) in HCWs. Methods: Twenty-five female HCWs and 25 non-HCWs participated. SC samples were collected using adhesive tapes at baseline and 3−5 days later (T1). We analyzed 24 biomarkers (immunological, vascular, hormones, and natural moisturizing factors). Stress symptoms were assessed using three scales of Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire. The study involved: identifying SC biomarkers, correlating stress symptoms and biomarkers at baseline and T1, examining stress symptoms between the groups with a Mann-Whitney test, comparing stress symptoms and biomarkers between groups using Ordinary Least Regression and investigating temporal variability of SC biomarkers at baseline and T1 using a Wilcoxon-signed rank. Results: Fourteen SC biomarkers were identified. We found correlations between general stress and “IL18” (r = 0.55) physical stress and “IL1b” (r = 0.36) and cognitive stress and “MIP3a” (r = 0.38) at baseline and general stress and cortisol (r = −0.49), physical stress and cortisol (r = −0.60) and cortisone (r = −0.67) at T1. We found no differences in stress symptoms and biomarkers between the groups, except for “MIP3a” at baseline. Differences in the biomarker levels between two time points were found for “TARC,” “VEGFA,” “ILRA,” “IL1RA/IL1a,” “NMF,” and “DHEA.”. Conclusion: The SC can be suitable biological material to assess biomarkers related to immune response, hormonal response, and skin barrier function. The SC biomarkers, showed strong, moderate and weak correlations with stress symptoms. Notably, these associations include cytokines of innate immunity and well-known stress hormones, cortisol and cortisone.
KW - biomarkers
KW - epidermis
KW - health personnel
KW - occupational health
KW - psychological
KW - stress
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85181511266&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.1710
DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.1710
M3 - Article
C2 - 38186941
SN - 2398-8835
VL - 7
JO - Health Science Reports
JF - Health Science Reports
IS - 1
M1 - e1710
ER -