Irritant dermatitis as a model of inflammation

Irritant dermatitis is a common clinical entity with at least 11 phenotypes. The pathogenesis has been studied in humans as well as animals. Mechanisms including proinflammatory cytokines, arachidonic acid metabolism, oxidative stress and Langerhans cell mobilization are involved in irritant dermatitis. This article summarizes current knowledge of the mechanisms of irritant dermatitis and its implication as a model of inflammatory diseases.

Section editor:Michael Roberts – School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Australia.