title: In vivo reflectance-mode confocal microscopy assessments: impact of overweight on human skin microcirculation and histomorphology.
abstract: Reflectance-mode confocal microscopy (RCM) enables in vivo assessment of the human skin. Impact of overweight on both human skin microcirculation and histomorphology has not been investigated in vivo. The purpose of this study is to evaluate both microcirculation and histomorphology in vivo in overweight. In 10 normotensive overweight nondiabetic individuals (OW-group, BMI 29.1 ± 2.7 kg/m(2)) and 10 age- and sex-matched healthy lean controls (CO-group, BMI 20.4 ± 1.9 kg/m(2)) the following parameters were evaluated using RCM: dermal blood cell flow (DBCF), density of dermal capillaries (DDC), epidermal thickness (ET), and epidermal cell size (ECS). DBCF was counted at 63.11 ± 4.14 cells/min in OW-group and at 51.06 ± 3.84 cells/min in CO-group (P < 0.05). DDC was reduced in OW-group (4.91 ± 0.39 capillaries/mm(2)) compared to the controls (6.02 ± 0.64 capillaries/mm(2), P < 0.05). Histometric evaluation of ET reveals thickening in OW-group compared to the CO-group (54.79 ± 4.25 μm versus 44.03 ± 3.11 μm, P < 0.05). ECS differed significantly (P < 0.05) in OW-group (821.3 ± 42.02 μm(2)) compared to the controls (772.6 ± 34.79 μm(2)). Inverse correlation of dermal capillary density and overweight point to reduced total tissue perfusion while positive related blood cell flow reveals vasodilatation. Increase of both ET and cell size indicates remodeling of cutaneous histomorphology, maybe as an early stage of adiposity-related skin condition.
authors.affiliation: Medical Center Cologne, Plastic, Reconstructive, Aesthetic and Handsurgery, Clevischer Ring 63, 51063 Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Ahmet A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Altintas
authors.affiliation: Johanniter-Kliniken Bonn, Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Waldkrankenhaus, Waldstraße 73, 53177 Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Matthias C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Aust
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23538 Lübeck, Germany.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Krämer
authors.affiliation: Medical School Hannover, Department of Plastic, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, Burn Center, Carl-Neuberg Str.1, 30625 Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Vogt
authors.affiliation: Bergmannsheil Buer Gelsenkirchen, Department of Plastic, Aesthetic, and Handsurgery, Burn Center, Schernerweg 4, 45894 Gelsenkirchen, Germany.
authors.forename: Mehmet A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Altintas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000502:physiology*; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D050177:Overweight / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*