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Sodium in the Skin and Atopic Dermatitis

Sodium in the Skin and Atopic Dermatitis

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Observational
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06998446
Acronym
SIS-AD
Enrollment
90
Registered
2025-05-31
Start date
2025-05-12
Completion date
2028-08-30
Last updated
2026-07-14

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Atopic Dermatitis, Eczema

Keywords

Sodium, Salt

Brief summary

The goal of this observational study is to understand factors associated with skin sodium storage in healthy adults and people with atopic dermatitis ages 50 and above. The study is designed to test whether diet and skin barrier function are associated with skin sodium concentration and whether skin sodium concentration is linked to atopic dermatitis and immune profiles over time. Participants will be asked to complete questionnaires, provide bio samples, and undergo non-contrast sodium MRI at 2-3 time points over 3-24 months.

Detailed description

The central hypothesis of this proposal is that excess dietary sodium (consumed primarily as salt) is concentrated in the skin as a physiologic response to poor barrier function, and that high levels of skin sodium worsen atopic dermatitis. The study will recruit 90 individuals (30 healthy participants, 30 with mild atopic dermatitis and 30 with severe atopic dermatitis) and follow them to identify factors associated with skin sodium storage. Diet will be evaluated using food frequency questionnaires and urine biomarkers, skin sodium concentration will be measured using a non-invasive sodium MRI technique, and atopic dermatitis activity and severity will be measured using multiple patient-reported outcomes and clinician scores. Participants without atopic dermatitis will be asked to visit the research site 4 times over 3 months. Participants with atopic dermatitis will be additionally asked to complete monthly severity scores for up to 24 months total and to visit the research site an additional 2 times when their disease severity changes. The first specific aim will evaluate the association between dietary sodium intake and skin barrier function on skin sodium concentration. The primary analysis will use regression models to determine the association between dietary sodium intake and skin sodium concentration across 2-3 time points. The association with skin barrier function will also be evaluated. The second specific aim will evaluate the extent to which skin sodium is associated with atopic dermatitis severity and persistence. The analysis will use regression models to determine the association between skin sodium and atopic dermatitis prevalence and severity. It will also examine immune profiles associated with skin sodium.

Interventions

None listed

Sponsors

University of California, San Francisco
Lead SponsorOTHER
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
CollaboratorNIH

Study design

Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
50 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

* Ages 50 years and above * Willing to undergo non-contrast MRI (e.g., no contraindications to MRI, such as cardiac pacemakers, non-compatible intracranial vascular clips or pregnancy).

Exclusion criteria

* History of autoimmune disease. * Cardiac events in the last six months. * Impaired function of the liver or kidneys (glomerular filtration rate \<60ml/min). * Current use of medications that influence sodium excretion (e.g. thiazide diuretics, SGLT2 inhibitors and spironolactone), and/or chemotherapy or antibiotic treatment. * Currently receiving phototherapy or taking systemic medications for atopic dermatitis including cyclosporine, methotrexate, or other broad immunosuppressive medications. (Patients on dupilumab will not be excluded if they have been on dupilumab for at least two months and still meet the criteria for severe disease.)

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Skin sodium concentration2 yearsSkin sodium concentration will be measured via non-contrast sodium MRI
Atopc dermatitis serverity2 yearsAtopic dermatitis severity will be measured via the eczema area severity index (EASI). The score range is 0-72 and higher scores indicate more severe atopic dermatitis.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Atopic dermatitis severity and persistence2 yearsAtopic dermatitis severity and persistence will be tracked via assessments at clinic visits and via virtual monthly assessments using the Patient Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM). The POEM score ranges from 0-28 and higher scores indicate more severe atopic dematitis.
Atopic dermatitis severity2 yearsAtopic dermatitis-associated itch will be assessed at clinic visits using the numerical rating score for itch (NRS 11). The range for the NRS is 0-10, and higher scores indicate more severe itch / worse disease.

Countries

United States

Contacts

CONTACTJie Zhu, MD
Jie.Zhu2@ucsf.edu415-502-0433
CONTACTKatrina Abuabara, MD
katrina.abuabara@ucsf.edu415-514-9769
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORKatrina Abuabara, M.D.

University of California, San Francisco

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Jul 15, 2026