Waaijer Mariette E C, Gunn David A, Catt Sharon D, van Ginkel Michael, de Craen Anton J M, Hudson Nicole M, van Heemst Diana, Slagboom P Eline, Westendorp Rudi G J, Maier Andrea B
Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands.
Age (Dordr). 2012 Dec;34(6):1543-52. doi: 10.1007/s11357-011-9314-5. Epub 2011 Sep 10.
The effect of chronological age on skin characteristics is readily visible, and its underlying histological changes have been a field of study for several years. However, the effect of biological age (i.e. a person's rate of ageing compared to their chronological age) on the skin has so far only been studied in facial photographs. Skin biopsies obtained from middle-aged offspring of nonagenarian siblings that are genetically enriched for longevity were compared to their partners who represent the general Dutch population. Though of the same chronological age, the offspring were previously observed to be of a younger biological age than their partners. The biopsies were analysed on several aspects epidermal and elastic fibre morphology. We investigated whether these skin characteristics were dependent on chronological age, familial longevity (the difference between the offspring and partners) and Framingham heart risk scores, adjusted for external stressors. A decreased thickness and flattening of the epidermis as well as an increased amount of elastic fibres in the reticular dermis were observed with chronological age (P < 0.001, P < 0.001 and P = 0.03, respectively), but no effect of familial longevity was found. The Framingham heart risk score was associated with some skin characteristics. A slower rate of skin ageing does not mark offspring from nonagenarian siblings. Epidermal and elastic fibre morphometric characteristics are not a potential marker for familial longevity in middle-aged subjects enriched for familial longevity.
实际年龄对皮肤特征的影响显而易见，其潜在的组织学变化多年来一直是研究领域。然而，生物年龄（即一个人的衰老速度与其实际年龄相比）对皮肤的影响迄今为止仅在面部照片中进行过研究。将从百岁老人兄弟姐妹的中年后代身上获取的皮肤活检样本（这些后代在基因上具有长寿优势）与其代表荷兰普通人群的配偶的样本进行比较。尽管实际年龄相同，但此前观察到这些后代的生物年龄比其配偶年轻。对活检样本的表皮和弹性纤维形态等几个方面进行了分析。我们研究了这些皮肤特征是否依赖于实际年龄、家族长寿情况（后代与配偶之间的差异）以及弗雷明汉心脏风险评分，并对外部应激源进行了调整。随着实际年龄的增长，观察到表皮厚度降低且变平，以及网状真皮中弹性纤维数量增加（分别为P < 0.001、P < 0.001和P = 0.03），但未发现家族长寿情况有影响。弗雷明汉心脏风险评分与某些皮肤特征相关。皮肤衰老速度较慢并不能区分百岁老人兄弟姐妹的后代。在具有家族长寿优势的中年受试者中，表皮和弹性纤维形态计量学特征不是家族长寿的潜在标志物。
