Skin-protective effects of a zinc oxide-functionalized textile and its relevance for atopic dermatitis

Figures & data

Figure 1 Benevit Zink+ clothing contains 74% Lyocell fiber, 19% SmartCell sensitive fiber (comprised of ZnO), and 7% spandex.

Notes: Adult patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis were enrolled after informed consent. This ZnO textile was used for overnight underclothes in the form of trousers and long-sleeve shirts.

Table 1 Summary of the results of the in vivo pilot study

	Before trial	After trial
Pruritus severity	3.5 ± 1.2	2.4 ± 1.1
Erythema	2.2 ± 0.8	1.0 ± 0.8
Edema and papules	1.9 ± 0.8	0.8 ± 0.6
Excoriations	1.7 ± 1.1	0.6 ± 0.5
Impairment by pruritus	3.7 ± 0.7	2.1 ± 1.1
Impairment of night sleep	1.7 ± 1.4	1.4 ± 0.7
Impairment at work	1.4 ± 1.5	0.7 ± 1.2
Impairment at leisure time	1.4 ± 1.6	0.7 ± 1.2
Impairment at housework	1.4 ± 1.5	1.0 ± 1.3

Figure 2 Clinical improvement of nummular atopic dermatitis with adjuvant ZnO textile overnight (A) before and (B) after 4 days.

Figure 3 Clinical improvement of disseminated atopic dermatitis with adjuvant ZnO textile overnight (A) before and (B) after 4 days.

Figure 4 A high antioxidative capacity was determined for the ZnO-textile.

Notes: It was equally effective in inhibiting reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) formation in vitro. **P ≤ 0 0.01; ***P ≤ 0.001.

Figure 5 The ZnO textile possesses a strong antibacterial effect (log reduction > 3) against both Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Note: Complete inhibition of microbial growth was achieved.

Figure 6 (A) Determination of HaCaT keratinocyte cell viability and cell proliferation after 1, 24, and 48 hours of incubation with ZnO-textile extract. No negative effect on the cells was observed in vitro. At no time point or extraction ratio tested did cell numbers drop below the 70% threshold (red dotted line). (B) A significant release of lactate dehydrogenase was observed only for the positive control Triton X-100.

Notes: None of the ZnO textile-extraction ratios tested exhibited a cytotoxic potential. In accordance, cytotoxicity did not reach the threshold of 30% (red dotted line).