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Ultraviolet radiation, melanocytic naevi and their dose‐response relationship
Author(s) -
NGUYEN T.D.,
SISKIND V.,
GREEN L.,
FROST C.,
GREEN A.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
british journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.304
H-Index - 179
eISSN - 1365-2133
pISSN - 0007-0963
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2133.1997.17731849.x
Subject(s) - dermatology , melanocytic nevus , ultraviolet radiation , ultraviolet , medicine , sun exposure , nevus , melanoma , chemistry , cancer research , optoelectronics , materials science , radiochemistry
Summary Melanocytic naevi on the face and neck of 110 Brisbane secondary school students aged 16–17 years were mapped according to specified regions to investigate the dose‐response relationship between ultraviolet (UV) radiation and melanocytic naevi. Highest naevus density occurred in regions receiving a mean UV dose of 0.2–0.4 relative to the vertex while densities were low in minimally and maximally exposed regions. This pattern of naevus distribution was unaffected by sex or phenotypic features such as skin colour or degree of freckling. These findings suggest that there is a narrow dose range over which UV radiation can effectively promote the proliferation of melanocytes. A comparison of the regional distribution of naevi on the face and neck with that of solar keratoses appearing over 1 year on the heads of residents of a neighbouring town has shown them to differ significantly. This study may shed some light on the unknown, yet expectedly complex, relation of UV radiation to melanocytic naevi.