Chronologic and actinically induced aging in human facial skin

Journal Article · Wed Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1983 · J. Invest. Dermatol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/1523-1747.ep12537296· OSTI ID:5392501

Gilchrest, B A; Szabo, G; Flynn, E; Goldwyn, R M

Clinical and histologic stigmata of aging are much more prominent in habitually sun-exposed skin than in sun-protected skin, but other possible manifestations of actinically induced aging are almost unexplored. We have examined the interrelation of chronologic and actinic aging using paired preauricular (sun-exposed) and postauricular (sun-protected) skin specimens. Keratinocyte cultures derived from sun-exposed skin consistently had a shorter in vitro lifespan but increased plating efficiency compared with cultures derived from adjacent sun-protected skin of the same individual, confirming a previous study of different paired body sites. Electron microscopic histologic sections revealed focal abnormalities of keratinocyte proliferation and alignment in vitro especially in those cultures derived from sun-exposed skin and decreased intercellular contact in stratified colonies at late passage, regardless of donor site. One-micron histologic sections of the original biopsy specimens revealed no striking site-related keratinocyte alterations, but sun-exposed specimens had fewer epidermal Langerhans cells (p less than 0.001), averaging approximately 50 percent the number in sun-protected skin, a possible exaggeration of the previously reported age-associated decrease in this cell population. These data suggest that sun exposure indeed accelerates aging by several criteria and that, regardless of mechanism, environmental factors may adversely affect the appearance and function of aging skin in ways amenable to experimental quantitation.

• Research Organization: Department of Dermatology, Beth Israel Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
• OSTI ID: 5392501
• Journal Information: J. Invest. Dermatol.; (United States), Vol. 80
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
SKIN
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
LIFE CYCLE
PHOTOSENSITIVITY
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
AGE DEPENDENCE
CELL CULTURES
EPIDERMIS
FACE
LIFE SPAN
MAN
ANIMAL TISSUES
ANIMALS
BODY
BODY AREAS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
EPITHELIUM
HEAD
MAMMALS
ORGANS
PRIMATES
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATIONS
SENSITIVITY
TISSUES
VERTEBRATES
550900* - Pathology
560121 - Radiation Effects on Cells- External Source- (-1987)