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Fluorescence spectroscopy as a tool to detect and evaluate glucocorticoid-induced skin atrophy

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Abstract

Topical glucocorticoid (GC) therapy has been successfully used in the treatment of several common cutaneous diseases in clinical practice for a long time, and skin atrophy is one of the most typical cutaneous side effects of this therapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of noninvasive fluorescence spectroscopy (FS) technique in the detection and classification of GC-induced skin atrophy. A total of 20 male Wistar rats were used in the experimental protocol under controlled environmental conditions and with free access to food. One group received topical application of clobetasol propionate 0.05% for 14 days to induce cutaneous atrophy (atrophic group) and the other (control) group received only vehicle application following the same protocol and schedule. Histological analyses and FS measurements with laser excitation at both 532 nm and 408 nm were obtained on days 1 and 15. The FS results were classified as "normal" or "atrophic" according by histological analysis. Fluorescence spectra obtained with excitation at 408 nm allowed a clear distinction between the control and atrophic groups, and were more informative than the those obtained at 532 nm. Our results reveal that, if correctly applied, FS allows noninvasive evaluation of corticosteroid-induced skin atrophy, and thus represents an important step towards better monitoring of undesirable side effects of cutaneous therapy.

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the financial support of CAPES (Brazilian Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel; program NANOBIOTEC 856/2009, process no. 23038.027482/2009-60). We also acknowledge Dr Maria Teresa de Seixas Alves, MD, PhD (head of the Pathology Department of UNIFESP) for help with the images.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Postgraduate Program in Biotechnology (PPGBiotec), Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, SP, Brazil

    Moyses Costa Lemos, Cristina Kurachi, Igor Polikarpov & Débora Gusmão Melo

  2. Physics Institute of São Carlos (IFSC), University of São Paulo (USP), São Carlos, SP, Brazil

    Wagner Rafael Correr, Cristina Kurachi & Igor Polikarpov

  3. Department of Medicine (DMed), Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, SP, Brazil

    Lucimar Retto da Silva de Avó, Carla Maria Ramos Germano & Débora Gusmão Melo

  4. Departamento de Medicina (área norte), Rod. Washington Luís (SP-310), Km 235, Campus da UFSCar, São Carlos, SP, Brazil, CEP 13565-905

    Débora Gusmão Melo

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  1. Moyses Costa Lemos
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Correspondence to Débora Gusmão Melo.

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Lemos, M.C., Correr, W.R., da Silva de Avó, L.R. et al. Fluorescence spectroscopy as a tool to detect and evaluate glucocorticoid-induced skin atrophy. Lasers Med Sci 27, 1059–1065 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-011-1045-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-011-1045-4

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