Irritation of the skin of patients with
atopic dermatitis by contact with rough fibres of synthetic or woollen clothes is well known. Therefore, it has been recommended that patients should wear cotton clothes. However, cotton also consists of rough fibres able to irritate the skin, whereas
silk is characterized by smooth fibres without irritating potential. The aim of our study was to evaluate the clinical effect of Dermasilk- a special
silk fabric (
sericin-free
silk treated with AEGIS AEM5772/5 which has antibacterial properties) - in children with
atopic dermatitis. A total of 22 children with mild-to-moderate
atopic dermatitis were recruited for a study period of 3 months. All of them received three different tube-fabrics - Dermasilk,
sericin-free
silk fabric without AEGIS
AEM 5772/5 and cotton, covering the cubital region. Patients were advised to wear the Dermasilk fabric all day long during the whole study period on one arm, whereas the
sericin-free AEGIS-free
silk tube had to be used during the first 2 wk only on the other arm followed by the use of the cotton tube for the rest of the study period. Evaluation of the local SCORAD score was carried out at the beginning of the study, after 2, 4, 8 and 12 wk. A significant reduction of the local SCORAD index of the Dermasilk covered arm was observed after 4, 8 and 12 wk in comparison with the cotton-covered arm score [median (quartile 1-quartile 3)] 6.5 (5-8) vs. 8 (7-9), p < 0.002; 6 (5.25-7.75) vs. 8 (7-9), p < 0.0001; and 6 (5-6) vs. 8 (7.25-10), p < 0.0001. The use of Dermasilk has a significant beneficial effect in
atopic dermatitis because of the non-irritating properties of
silk as well as the antibacterial capacity of AEGIS
AEM 5772/5.