"The study shows "how a feeling, such as psychological stress, can translate into a biological event, namely inflamed skin", says co-author Shenbin Liu, a neurobiologist at Fudan University in Shanghai, China."
"Allergic skin diseases, such as AD, are caused by overactive immune responses that attack the body's own skin cells. Some people with the condition have a build-up of a type of immune cell called eosinophils in the affected skin tissues which exacerbates inflammation."
"In an analysis of skin biopsies and blood samples from 51 people with AD, the researchers found that those who reported high stress levels had more severe skin inflammation and higher levels of eosinophils than did participants who reported low stress levels."
Stress triggers eczema flare-ups through a previously unclear biological mechanism. Researchers discovered a network of neurons that respond to psychological stress by activating immune cells in the skin, fueling atopic dermatitis symptoms. The study, conducted on a mouse model and validated with human skin biopsies and blood samples from 51 people with atopic dermatitis, demonstrates how psychological stress translates into skin inflammation. Participants reporting high stress levels showed more severe skin inflammation and elevated eosinophil levels compared to those with low stress. This finding explains the connection between emotional stress and the overactive immune responses characteristic of allergic skin diseases affecting over 200 million people worldwide.
Read at Nature
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