Stratum corneum (SC) prevents evaporation of internal moisture and maintains dermal flexibility and fluidity. Malnutrition is known to decrease SC hydration, but involvement of nutritional status in SC hydration of dialysis patients is unclear. In this study, we examined the association between SC hydration and nutritional status on dialysis patients. We studied 16 control subjects and 81 dialysis patients to examine SC hydration of the neck, upper arm and lower leg. In the 81 patients, we measured serum albumin (Alb), transferrin, geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) and normalized protein catabolic rate (nPCR). We then classified the dialysis patients into a 21-patients group, with both Alb ≥ 3.6 g/dl and nPCR ≥ 0.9 g/kg/ day, and a 60-patients group with either Alb ＜3.6 g/dl or nPCR ＜0.9 g/kg/day. SC hydration in the lower leg and the Alb value in the 81 patients were significantly lower than those in the control subjects. SC hydration in the upper arm and lower leg and the values of transferrin and GNRI in the 60-patients group were significantly lower than those in the 21-patients group. This study demonstrates for the first time that nutritional status is correlated with maintenance of SC hydration on dialysis patients
