Bovell D L, Corbett A D, Holmes S, Macdonald A, Harker M
School of Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK.
Br J Dermatol. 2007 Jun;156(6):1278-86. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.2007.07917.x.
The existence of a third type of sweat gland in human axillary skin, the apoeccrine gland, with a capacity to produce much higher sweat output than the eccrine gland, was proposed from examination of microdissected glands. However, previous studies of axillary skin glands did not examine the entire individual glandular structure via serial sections and the markers used to identify the different glands gave conflicting results and, hence, the existence of the apoeccrine gland remains controversial.
To investigate human axillary sweat glands by serial section histology and immunofluorescence.
Human axillary sweat glands were investigated by serial sectioning of paraffin wax-embedded skin samples taken by biopsy from four male and six female volunteers (age range 20-35 years). Sections were examined by light microscopy and immunofluorescence, using antibodies to antigens reported to be markers for discriminating between eccrine and apocrine gland cells: CD15, CD44, S100 and human milk fat globulin.
Light microscopy demonstrated that there were hair follicles and a mean +/- SD of 76 +/- 14 sweat glands cm(-2). Eccrine and apocrine glands were found to be present; however, no glands resembling the apoeccrine glands were detected. Both types of sweat gland exhibited signs of being active, with segments of the secretory coils displaying flattened cells and dilated glandular lumina; however, this dilation did not extend to obvious changes in the width of the gland. None of the eccrine glands exhibited evidence of the presence of apocrine cells or vice versa. Immunofluorescence markers were found not to be specific and did not discriminate between the different types of glands or demonstrate the presence of apoeccrine glands.
This is the first time that serial sections of axillary skin have been examined by histology and immunofluorescence. The markers reported to discriminate between apocrine and eccrine glands were found to be nonspecific. No evidence of apoeccrine glands was found either by histology or by immunofluorescence.
通过对显微解剖腺体的检查，有人提出人类腋窝皮肤中存在第三种汗腺，即顶浆分泌汗腺，其产生汗液的能力远高于小汗腺。然而，先前对腋窝皮肤腺体的研究并未通过连续切片检查整个单个腺体结构，且用于识别不同腺体的标记物得出了相互矛盾的结果，因此，顶浆分泌汗腺的存在仍存在争议。
通过连续切片组织学和免疫荧光法研究人类腋窝汗腺。
对4名男性和6名女性志愿者（年龄范围20 - 35岁）活检获取的石蜡包埋皮肤样本进行连续切片，研究人类腋窝汗腺。切片通过光学显微镜和免疫荧光检查，使用针对据报道可区分小汗腺和大汗腺细胞的抗原的抗体：CD15、CD44、S100和人乳脂肪球蛋白。
光学显微镜显示存在毛囊，平均每平方厘米有76 ± 14个汗腺。发现了小汗腺和大汗腺；然而，未检测到类似顶浆分泌汗腺的腺体。两种类型的汗腺均表现出活跃的迹象，分泌盘曲部分的细胞扁平，腺腔扩张；然而，这种扩张并未导致腺体宽度出现明显变化。没有一个小汗腺显示出大汗腺细胞存在的证据，反之亦然。发现免疫荧光标记物不具有特异性，无法区分不同类型的腺体，也无法证明顶浆分泌汗腺的存在。
这是首次通过组织学和免疫荧光检查腋窝皮肤的连续切片。据报道可区分大汗腺和小汗腺的标记物被发现不具有特异性。无论是通过组织学还是免疫荧光，均未发现顶浆分泌汗腺存在的证据。
