Galectin-7 in the stratum corneum: a biomarker of the skin barrier function

Objective: Skin barrier disruption often occurs in diseased and damaged skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis (AD). We focused the galectin-7 protein (Gal-7) as a biomarker of skin condition and assessed whether the content of Gal-7 in stratum corneum (scGal-7) could be used as an indicator of skin barrier disruption and as an index of local skin symptoms in AD patients.

Methods: Alteration of Gal-7 expression levels in keratinocyte and scGal-7 contents after barrier disruption by sodium dodecyl sulphate were evaluated in vitro and in vivo, respectively. Correlation between scGal-7 content and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) was examined in 126 healthy subjects. We performed single measurements of scGal-7 contents in 34 AD patients and serial measurements of 15 inpatients among them. SC samples were collected by the tape-stripping method, and scGal-7 content was determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results: Gal-7 expression in keratinocytes increased after barrier disruption. The scGal-7 content reflected the disruption of the skin barrier. The scGal-7 contents and TEWL values correlated in healthy subjects. The scGal-7 level was higher in AD patients than in healthy subjects. The scGal-7 contents in the cheek and neck of AD patients significantly correlated with the total and local skin lesion severity scores. Serial measurements in the inpatients showed that the scGal-7 contents in the cheek and neck decreased in tandem with local severity scores in response to treatment.

Conclusion: Measurement of scGal-7 content in tape-stripped samples was useful for the evaluation of the skin barrier function in dry skin conditions such as AD.