Skin salt levels and their link to eczema in adults 50 and older
Official title: Sodium in the Skin and Atopic Dermatitis
Run by University of California, San Francisco · NCT06998446 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will test whether diet and skin barrier problems affect salt levels in the skin and whether those salt levels relate to eczema in people aged 50 and older.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Ages | 50 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 90 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | University of California, San Francisco Academic / other |
| Drugs / interventions | dupilumab, chemotherapy, methotrexate |
| Locations | 2 sites (San Francisco, California and 1 other locations) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | May 12, 2025 |
| Main results expected | August 30, 2028 |
| Study ends | August 30, 2028 |
| Registry record updated | July 14, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT06998446 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adults aged 50 or older who can safely undergo non-contrast MRI, are willing to provide biosamples and questionnaire data, and meet the inclusion/exclusion medication and medical criteria are ideal candidates.
✕Probably not a fit
People with autoimmune disease, recent cardiac events, significant liver or kidney impairment, contraindications to MRI, or who are taking excluded medications are unlikely to benefit or be eligible for participation.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This observational study will enroll 90 adults age 50+ (30 healthy, 30 with mild atopic dermatitis, 30 with severe atopic dermatitis) and follow them for 3–24 months with 2–3 study visits. Diet will be estimated with food frequency questionnaires and urine biomarkers, and skin sodium concentration will be measured non-invasively using sodium MRI alongside clinical and patient-reported measures of eczema severity. Participants will provide biosamples and complete questionnaires at planned visits, and those with atopic dermatitis will submit monthly severity scores and return for extra visits if their disease changes. The primary analyses will use regression models to test links between dietary sodium, skin barrier function, skin sodium concentration, and immune or clinical profiles over time.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could point to dietary or skin-barrier strategies to reduce skin salt buildup and help improve eczema management in older adults.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work has used sodium MRI to measure skin salt and linked tissue sodium to inflammation in other conditions, but applying these measures specifically to atopic dermatitis is relatively novel.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Ages 50 years and above * Willing to undergo non-contrast MRI (e.g., no contraindications to MRI, such as cardiac pacemakers, non-compatible intracranial vascular clips or pregnancy). Exclusion Criteria: * History of autoimmune disease. * Cardiac events in the last six months. * Impaired function of the liver or kidneys (glomerular filtration rate \<60ml/min). * Current use of medications that influence sodium excretion (e.g. thiazide diuretics, SGLT2 inhibitors and spironolactone), and/or chemotherapy or antibiotic treatment. * Currently receiving phototherapy or taking systemic medications for atopic dermatitis including cyclosporine, methotrexate, or other broad immunosuppressive medications. (Patients on dupilumab will not be excluded if they have been on dupilumab for at least two months and still meet the criteria for severe disease.)
Where it's running
-
San Francisco VA Medical Center
San Francisco, California, United States Recruiting -
UCSF Mt Zion Campus
San Francisco, California, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Katrina Abuabara, M.D. — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Jie Zhu, MD
- Email: Jie.Zhu2@ucsf.edu
- Phone: 415-502-0433
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
-
Digital mindfulness app for teens with eczema
Teens with moderate to severe eczema try a digital mindfulness app to see if it helps control symptoms and improve quality of life.
-
Camoteskimab in adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis
This trial tests different doses of camoteskimab versus placebo to see if it helps adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis who have not fully responded to standard treatments.
-
Low-sodium diet and salt tablets to see if eczema improves
This study tests whether a low-sodium diet can lessen eczema symptoms in adults with atopic dermatitis, using a cross-over design with sodium tablets and placebo to see if salt intake changes skin sodium and severity.
-
Soquelitinib for adults with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis
This 12-week test gives adults with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis daily soquelitinib or a placebo to see if their skin and itch improve and to track side effects.
-
GX-03 topical treatment for adults with moderate to severe eczema
This study will test whether applying GX-03, a topical emollient, twice daily for 8 weeks reduces eczema severity and itch in adults with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis compared with a petrolatum-based vehicle.
-
Non-Invasive Skin Fluid Biomarkers in Babies with and without Eczema
This study tests whether a tiny, painless device can safely collect skin interstitial fluid from babies to see if eczema changes immune signals compared with healthy babies.
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.