Mattar Essam H
College of Applied Medical Sciences, Department of Radiologic Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Indian J Dermatol. 2011 Jan;56(1):19-24. doi: 10.4103/0019-5154.77545.
With aging there is alteration of elastic properties of the skin and skin-blood flow.
The purpose of this study was to compare age-related changes in selected biomechanical parameters of the skin (skin hardness, skin extensibility, relaxation time constant, τ) and subcutaneous microcirculatory quality (SMQ) in individuals with and without venous diseases.
TWO GROUPS WERE STUDIED: the first group was of asymptomatic healthy individuals and the second group included patients with chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) and venous ulceration, without edema. Both groups were subdivided to three age categories (21-40, 41-60 and 61-90 years old). Skin hardness was measured by durometer, extensibility and τ were measured using extensometer and SQM was assessed via postural vasoconstrictive response (LDF).
Results showed that skin hardness, extensibility, and τ-values were increased, whereas LDF was decreased in the older groups as compared with younger groups. These changes are attributed to alterations in the skin structure and reduced capillaries density networks. Similar behavior was found in the biomechanical and microcirculatory changes in patients with venous ulceration and CVI, but these changes were more increased further in older patients with venous ulceration as compared with older patients with CVI and that can be attribute to more intense response against tissue injury.
Since aging elevated skin hardness and extensibility, but lowered vasoconstrictive response in individuals, with and without, venous diseases, we conclude that aging process is likely to cause an accumulation of damaged skin tissues and that could induce an apparent antigen-driven response that altered skin structure and the subsequent biomechanical properties obtained in this study.
随着年龄增长，皮肤的弹性特性和皮肤血流量会发生改变。
本研究的目的是比较有和没有静脉疾病的个体在皮肤选定生物力学参数（皮肤硬度、皮肤伸展性、松弛时间常数τ）和皮下微循环质量（SMQ）方面与年龄相关的变化。
研究了两组：第一组是无症状的健康个体，第二组包括慢性静脉功能不全（CVI）和静脉溃疡且无水肿的患者。两组均细分为三个年龄类别（21 - 40岁、41 - 60岁和61 - 90岁）。使用硬度计测量皮肤硬度，使用引伸计测量伸展性和τ，通过体位性血管收缩反应（激光多普勒血流仪）评估SMQ。
结果显示，与较年轻组相比，老年组的皮肤硬度、伸展性和τ值增加，而激光多普勒血流仪测量值降低。这些变化归因于皮肤结构的改变和毛细血管密度网络的减少。在静脉溃疡和CVI患者的生物力学和微循环变化中也发现了类似的情况，但与老年CVI患者相比，老年静脉溃疡患者的这些变化进一步增加，这可能归因于对组织损伤的更强烈反应。
由于无论有无静脉疾病，衰老都会提高个体的皮肤硬度和伸展性，但降低血管收缩反应，我们得出结论，衰老过程可能会导致受损皮肤组织的积累，这可能会引发明显的抗原驱动反应，从而改变皮肤结构以及本研究中获得的后续生物力学特性。
