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Expression of estrogen, androgen, and glucocorticoid receptors in recent striae distensae
Author(s) -
Cordeiro Raquel Cristina Tancsik,
Zecchin Karina Gotardello,
De Moraes Aparecida Machado
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
international journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1365-4632
pISSN - 0011-9059
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-4632.2008.04005.x
Subject(s) - androgen receptor , glucocorticoid receptor , androgen , medicine , estrogen receptor , glucocorticoid , receptor , endocrinology , estrogen , hormone , breast cancer , cancer , prostate cancer
Background Stretch marks or striae distensae (SD) can be considered a common skin disorder, but their physiopathogenic mechanisms have not been totally clarified. Although it is considered an esthetic complaint, it may have serious psychosocial consequences besides the local and systemic alterations of the conjunctive tissue. This study aims at assessing and quantifying the estrogen, androgen and glucocorticoid receptors in skin samples with striae and comparing with normal skin. Methods Skin samples for biopsy were obtained from eight patients with SD and eight patients without lesions. The samples were frozen at −80 °C and underwent processing to obtain proteic extract to quantify the estrogen, androgen and glucocorticoid receptors with the Western Blot method. Results When the estrogen receptor in the skin with SD was compared with healthy skin, it was observed to have increased twice as much ( P = 0.00001). The androgen and glucocorticoid receptors in the SD skin had also increased ( P = 0.00015 and P = 0.00083, respectively). Conclusions These findings indicate that under certain conditions there is an increase in hormonal receptor expression, suggesting that regions that undergo greater mechanical stretching of the skin may express greater hormonal receptor activity. This activity may influence the metabolism of the extracellular matrix, causing the formation of SD. Alterations in hormone receptors occur within a well‐defined time period during the formation of SD; however, there are differences in the functionality of hormone receptors during different stages in the development of the lesions. The preliminary results appear to be relevant and represent aninitial step towards an understanding of the pathophysiology of SD.