Elastic fibres in normal and sun-damaged skin: an immunohistochemical study.
Sun-exposed and sun-protected skin obtained at post mortem from the nape of the neck in 14 subjects was immunostained using antisera to elastin, lysozyme, amyloid P component, and the plasma protease inhibitors alpha-I antitrypsin, alpha-I antichymotrypsin and alpha-2 macroglobulin. Both the normal elastic fibres in sun-protected skin, and elastosis in sun-exposed skin were positively immunostained for elastin, lysozyme and amyloid P component. Collagen fibres were unstained. No immunostaining of normal elastic fibres or elastosis in the skin was obtained with antisera to alpha-I antitrypsin, alpha-I antichymotrypsin or alpha-2 macroglobulin. It was concluded that the elastosis in sun-exposed skin does contain elastic fibres. The absence of immunostaining for plasma protease inhibitors probably indicates that the elastic material is mature, and not newly-formed.
D004547:Elastic Tissue / Q000032:analysis / Q000473:pathology*; D004549:Elastin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D009113:Muramidase / Q000032:analysis; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000032:analysis; D000683:Serum Amyloid P-Component / Q000032:analysis; D012867:Skin / Q000032:analysis / Q000473:pathology*; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D013472:Sunlight / Q000009:adverse effects*
D011480:Protease Inhibitors; D000683:Serum Amyloid P-Component; D004549:Elastin; D009113:Muramidase