The anionic surfactant Sodium Dodecyl Benzene Sulfonate alleviates inflammatory responses in atopic dermatitis via NFκB/MAPK pathways in a STAT3-dependent manner.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by chronic inflammation, barrier impairment, and immunoglobulin E-mediated sensitization. Sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) is a widely used anionic surfactant which are believed to exacerbate AD according to the hygiene hypothesis. However, recent studies have shown that SDBS does not significantly upregulate the expression of key proinflammatory cytokines, which is inconsistent with previous hypotheses. Furthermore, it is not known whether SDBS affect the inflammatory response to AD. Herein, we used mice with MC903-induced AD-like dermatitis and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α/interferon (IFN)-γ (T/I)-treated HaCaT cells to investigate the effects of SDBS on AD. We found that topical use of 0.1% and 1% SDBS did not exacerbate dermatitis in mice. Instead, clinical and histological remission of MC903-induced AD-like dermatitis were observed following the administration of both 0.1% and 1% SDBS, where 1% SDBS treatment showed a greater degree of relief compared to 0.1% SDBS. SDBS also reduced the expression of major cytokines involved in the pathogenesis of AD both in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, our results showed that SDBS alleviated AD via the nuclear factor kappa B/mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways in a signal transducer and activator of transcription 3-dependent manner. In conclusion, our findings suggest for the first time that the surfactant SDBS has anti-inflammatory properties, which raises new possibilities for detergent use among patients with AD.