title: Striae distensae: Immunohistochemical assessment of hormone receptors in multigravida and nulligravida.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Striae distensae (SD), a type of dermal scarring, are psychologically disappointing. To date, information and scientific research behind the role of hormonal factors in the development of SD are still unclear. It is vital to understand striae to offer patients the best therapeutic options.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate early alterations regarding the expression of estrogen, androgen, and glucocorticoid receptors (estrogen receptor (ER), androgen receptor (AR), glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in skin samples of multigravida (MG) and nulligravida (NG) cases and to compare them with normal controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 30 subjects (10 MG and 10 NG cases with early SD and 10 healthy controls). Biopsies from SD lesions, perilesional normal skin of cases and normal skin of controls were examined immunohistochemically for ER, AR, and GR expression using immune peroxidase technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Comparing MG and NG with controls, ER expression appeared reduced in MG and NG (P-value<.001), AR was elevated in MG (P-value<.05) with no considerable difference in NG (P-value>.05), while GR was elevated in both MG and NG (P-value<.05). On comparing perilesional skin with SD lesions in each of MG and NG groups, SD lesions revealed reduced ER expression in both groups (P-value<.05), whereas in MG group: AR expression was elevated with no difference detected regarding GR (P-value˃.05); meanwhile in NG, elevated expression in both AR and GR expression was noted (P-Value<.001) CONCLUSIONS: Striae distansae lesions demonstrated a significant increase in the expression of AR and GR and a declined expression of ER indicating their involvement in the development of early SD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Andrology, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Sahar El Sayed
authors.initials: SES
authors.lastname: Youssef
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Andrology, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Ekramy Ahmed
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: El-Khateeb
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Venereology, National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt.
authors.forename: Dalia Gamal
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3647-8618
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Aly
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Manal Hassan
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Moussa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D020073:Gravidity; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D011247:Pregnancy; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D057896:Striae Distensae / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D011944:Receptors, Androgen; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid
keywords: androgen receptor (AR); estrogen receptor (ER); glucocorticoid receptor (GR); multigravida (MG); nulligravida (NG); striae distensae (SD)