Stress, Bacteria, and Barriers

Stress adversely affects skin barrier function; it disturbs permeability, barrier homeostasis, and wound healing. This disruption may be partially due to physiologic changes wrought by nerves that end in the epidermis. Recently, Aberg and co-workers suggested that barrier disruption might also be due to increased endogenous cortisol levels induced by stress. Basically, psychological stress increases circulating levels of glucocorticoids, which inhibits lipid synthesis and decreases production of lamellar bodies. The lamellar bodies normally contribute lipids, enzymes of desquamation, and antimicrobial peptides to the stratum corneum. It follows that inhibited lipid synthesis might adversely affect barrier function and stratum corneum levels…