Background: An important function of skin is to serve as a barrier and thus provide protection
from the external environment. The epidermal keratinocyte establishes this barrier by
producing an intact stratum corneum. In the past, keratinocytes were appreciated only for
this rather inert, passive structural responsibility and not for their potential dynamic
contribution to inflammatory or immune-mediated reactions. Objective: Our purpose was to
examine the cascade of molecular and cellular events that occur when the barrier function of …