title: Changes in collagen I and collagen III metabolism in patients with generalized atopic eczema undergoing medium-dose ultraviolet A1 phototherapy.
abstract: Fourteen patients suffering from acute, exacerbated atopic eczema were screened for changes in collagen I and collagen III metabolism in serum (n = 11), urine (n = 11) and skin biopsies (n = 9) before and after medium-dose ultraviolet (UV) A1 phototherapy (15 exposures of 50 J/cm2 over a 3-week period, total dose 750 J/cm2). Mature collagen I and, to a lesser extent, mature collagen III were found to be decreased after the therapy in skin samples from the irradiated patients. As markers of collagen I degradation, the cross-links pyridoline and deoxypyridoline were analysed in urine using high-performance liquid chromatography. Both cross-links were found to be mildly increased after UVA1 phototherapy, without reaching statistical significance. As markers of de novo collagen synthesis we screened for the procollagen I-carboxyterminal peptide (PICP) and procollagen III-aminoterminal peptide (PIIINP) levels in serum and skin. The ratio of PICP to PIIINP in serum dropped significantly after the UVA1 phototherapy, suggesting a different impact of UVA1 on the two collagens. These findings were paralleled by a diminished ratio of PICP to PIIINP in tissue samples. Staining for matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1) and its specific counterpart, tissue inhibitor of MMP-1 (TIMP-1), showed slight increases for both proteins by therapeutic UVA1; this was also seen in serum for TIMP-1 but not MMP-1. In our study, high-energy UVA1 doses induced changes of the skin collagens in patients with atopic eczema which are measurable by their metabolites in serum and urine.
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Dermatologie und Allergologie am Biederstein, Biedersteiner Strasse 29, 80802 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mempel
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Boeck
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Brockow
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stachowitz
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fesq
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schäfer
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thomsen
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schnopp
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ring
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Probst
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Luppa
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Abeck
mesh_terms: D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003094:Collagen / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D020781:Matrix Metalloproteinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D011347:Procollagen / Q000378:metabolism; D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D014467:Ultraviolet Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D011347:Procollagen; D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1; D003094:Collagen; D020781:Matrix Metalloproteinase 1