Loss of elastic fibers causes skin wrinkles in sun-damaged human skin.
BACKGROUND
Although wrinkling is the most obvious sign of aged skin, the detailed pathomechanism of wrinkle development has not been elucidated.


OBJECTIVE
In this study, we investigated the role of elastic fibers in the formation of skin wrinkles.


METHODS
Loss of elastic fibers was measured quantitatively in the facial skins of subjects representing seven decades, and then compared with wrinkle severities. We also investigated whether topical retinoic acid treatment to photoaged human skin can restore destroyed elastic fiber, and the correlation between wrinkle improvement with increase in elastic fibers in RA-treated facial skin.


RESULTS
We found a significant correlation between decreases in the length, width, number and total area of oxytalan fibers and wrinkle severity. Furthermore, we found that topical application of retinoic acid (0.025%) to chronically photodamaged skin regenerated and restored elastic fibers, and that there was a significant positive correlation between the amount of newly regenerated elastic fiber and the wrinkle improvement caused by retinoic acid.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results provide an objective insight into the role of elastic fibers in skin wrinkle formation by providing a quantitative correlation between changes in oxytalan fibers and the severity of skin wrinkling.
Lee
Jin Young
JY
Skin Research Institute, Amorepacific Corporation/R&D Center, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea.
Kim
Yeon Kyung
YK
Seo
Jin Young
JY
Choi
Chong Won
CW
Hwang
Jae Sung
JS
Lee
Byeong Gon
BG
Chang
Ih Seop
IS
Chung
Jin Ho
JH
D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003879:Dermatologic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004547:Elastic Tissue / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005145:Face; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012038:Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects; D015595:Skin Aging / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects; D013472:Sunlight / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D003879:Dermatologic Agents; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; C437744:oxytalan; D014212:Tretinoin