Langton AK, Graham HK, McConnell JC, Sherratt MJ, Griffiths CEM, Watson REB, et al.
The British journal of dermatology. Date of publication 2017 Sep 1;volume 177(3):818-827.
1. Br J Dermatol. 2017 Sep;177(3):818-827. doi: 10.1111/bjd.15353. Epub 2017 Jun 12.
Organization of the dermal matrix impacts the biomechanical properties of skin.
Langton AK(1)(2), Graham HK(1)(2), McConnell JC(3), Sherratt MJ(3), Griffiths
CEM(1)(2), Watson REB(1)(2).
Author information:
(1)Centre for Dermatology Research, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health,
Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester & Salford
Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, U.K.
(2)NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre, Central Manchester University
Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre,
Manchester, U.K.
(3)Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Biology,
Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of
Manchester, Manchester, U.K.
Comment in
Br J Dermatol. 2017 Sep;177(3):622-623.
BACKGROUND: Human skin has the crucial roles of maintaining homeostasis and
protecting against the external environment. Skin offers protection against
mechanical trauma due to the reversible deformation of its structure; these
biomechanical properties are amenable to dynamic testing using noninvasive
devices.
OBJECTIVES: To characterize the biomechanical properties of young, black
African/African-Caribbean and white Northern European skin from different
anatomical sites, and to relate underlying skin architecture to biomechanical
function.
METHODS: Using cutometry and ballistometry, the biomechanical properties of
buttock and dorsal forearm skin were determined in black
African/African-Caribbean (n = 18) and white Northern European (n = 20)
individuals aged 18-30 years. Skin biopsies were obtained from a subset of the
volunteers (black African/African-Caribbean, n = 5; white Northern European, n =
6) and processed for histological and immunohistochemical detection of the major
elastic fibre components and fibrillar collagens.
RESULTS: We have determined that healthy skin from young African and white
Northern European individuals has similar biomechanical properties (F3): the skin
is resilient (capable of returning to its original position following
deformation, R1), exhibits minimal fatigue (R4) and is highly elastic (R2, R5 and
R7). At the histological level, skin with these biomechanical properties is
imbued with strong interdigitation of the rete ridges at the dermoepidermal
junction (DEJ) and candelabra-like arrays of elastic fibres throughout the
papillary dermis. Dramatic disruption to this highly organized arrangement of
elastic fibres, effacement of the rete ridges and alterations to the alignment of
the fibrillar collagens is apparent in the white Northern European forearm and
coincides with a marked decline in biomechanical function.
CONCLUSIONS: Maintenance of skin architecture - both epidermal morphology and
elastic fibre arrangement - is essential for optimal skin biomechanical
properties. Disruption to underlying skin architecture, as observed in the young
white Northern European forearm, compromises biomechanical function.
© 2017 The Authors. British Journal of Dermatology published by John Wiley & Sons
Ltd on behalf of British Association of Dermatologists.
DOI: 10.1111/bjd.15353
PMID: 28132410 [Indexed for MEDLINE]
