Rosacea and seborrheic dermatitis differentially respond to lactic acid sting and capsaicin tests in Chinese women.

BACKGROUND:Although rosacea and seborrheic dermatitis share some symptoms of sensitive skin, whether they respond differently to lactic acid sting and capsaicin tests, common tests for diagnosis of sensitive skin, is unknown. OBJECTIVES:To reveal the cutaneous responses to lactic acid sting (LAST) and capsaicin test (CAT) in females with either rosacea vs. seborrheic dermatitis. METHODS:A total of 60 patients with rosacea, 20 patients with seborrheic dermatitis and 40 normal controls were enrolled in the study. Their skin sensitivity to stimuli were evaluated following topical application of either 10% lactic acid solution or 0.001% capsaicin solution. Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) rates and erythema indexes were also measured on the face. RESULTS:In comparison to normal controls, the positive rate to either LAST or CAT was significantly higher in subjects with rosacea (p < 0.001), but not in that with seborrheic dermatitis. Similarly, individuals with rosacea displayed a higher positive rate to both LAST and CAT than those with seborrheic dermatitis and normal controls (p < 0.001). In parallel, the LAST scores and CAT scores in individuals with rosacea were significantly higher than in that with either seborrheic dermatitis or normal controls (p < 0.001). The baseline TEWL rates and erythema indexes were higher in individual with rosacea than in normal controls (p < 0.001). But the baseline TEWL rates and erythema indexes did not differ significantly between subjects with rosacea and that with seborrheic dermatitis. Moreover, LAST scores and CAT scores correlated positively with TEWL (p < 0.0001). TEWL rates were higher in CAT positive than in CAT negative subjects (p < 0.0001). Finally, erythema index correlated positively with CAT scores (p < 0.0001), but not with LAST scores (p = 0.0842). CONCLUSIONS:Skin responses to LAST and CAT differ between individuals with rosacea and those with seborrheic dermatitis, possibly due to the differences in epidermal permeability barrier and the neurovascular hyperreactivity. The higher LAST and CAT scores, as well as positive rates of both LAST and CAT can be attributable to inferior permeability barrier and the neurovascular hyperreactivity in subjects with rosacea.