A 20-Year Retrospective Clinicopathologic Study on Melanoma in Singapore

The document reports on a study that investigated the effects of 0.005% hypochlorite (HOCI) on serine protease (SP) expression in cultured human keratinocytes and its clinical implications for treating atopic dermatitis (AD). The study found that IL-13 upregulated SP expression, specifically kallikrein-related peptidase 5 (KLK5) and KLK7, in keratinocytes, but pretreatment with 0.005% HOCI counteracted this effect. The mechanism involved the attenuation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB) signaling. In a clinical setting, AD patients who took a bleach bath showed a significant reduction in skin pH scores within one day, although no significant changes were observed in skin hydration and epidermal water loss. The study concluded that 0.005% HOCI directly impacts keratinocytes by modulating the NF-kB pathway, which in turn helps maintain epidermal integrity and manage itching, thus supporting the therapeutic use of bleach baths for atopic skin. No commercial support was identified for this study.