STRIPE v1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
STRIPE - Study of Treatment in Paediatric Eczema
IRAS ID
343834
Contact name
Matthew Ridd
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Bristol
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 1 months, 31 days
Research summary
Atopic eczema (dermatitis) is an inflammatory skin disorder characterised by recurrent eczematous lesions and intense itch (Langan et al., 2020; Van Zuuren et al., 2017). It is one of the most common inflammatory disorders, affecting 15 to 30% of children (Thandi et al., 2021). Dry skin, a key characteristic of eczema, is caused by a dysfunctional epidermal barrier (Williams et al., 1994).
There is currently no cure for eczema, so the treatment goal is control of the disease using the wide range of treatments available (Lax et al., 2022; NICE, 2007) to treat the skin-barrier defect and inflammation, thus obtaining prolonged patient remission. Topical therapies are key to achieving those goals (Sideris et al., 2022). First-line therapy is the daily application of emollients/moisturisers to restore epidermal barrier function, usually in combination with anti-inflammatory therapy (Van Zuuren et al., 2017). The most commonly used anti-inflammatory therapy is topical corticosteroids (TCS) (Lax et al., 2022) but Topical Calcineurin Inhibitors (TCI) are also used. Although emollients and TCS are considered a first-line therapy approach (Van Zuuren et al., 2017), new anti-inflammatory agents are emerging which could be implemented in future treatment regimens.
There are few real world studies and evidence on eczema treatments have largely been derived from highly controlled clinical trials. Real world studies are needed to collect data on patient adherence and treatment persistence, variables that are less likely to be captured from clinical trial cohorts (Augustin et al., 2022; Kiiski et al., 2023).
The current study will explore, from the perspective of child patients, parents/carers and healthcare professionals, how topical treatments, especially emollients and TCS are used in everyday life to treat/manage children with eczema. We will further understand whether topical treatments are considered safe and effective to use and reasons for their use.
REC name
East Midlands - Nottingham 2 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/EM/0242
Date of REC Opinion
21 Nov 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion