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Respiratory Research
Published in: Respiratory Research 1/2019

Open Access 01-12-2019 | Pulmonary Emphysema | Research

Loss of skin elasticity is associated with pulmonary emphysema, biomarkers of inflammation, and matrix metalloproteinase activity in smokers

Authors: Michael E. O’Brien, Divay Chandra, Robert C. Wilson, Chad M. Karoleski, Carl R. Fuhrman, Joseph K. Leader, Jiantao Pu, Yingze Zhang, Alison Morris, Seyed Nouraie, Jessica Bon, Zsolt Urban, Frank C. Sciurba

Published in: Respiratory Research | Issue 1/2019

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Abstract

Background

Elastin breakdown and the resultant loss of lung elastic recoil is a hallmark of pulmonary emphysema in susceptible individuals as a consequence of tobacco smoke exposure. Systemic alterations to the synthesis and degradation of elastin may be important to our understanding of disease phenotypes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. We investigated the association of skin elasticity with pulmonary emphysema, obstructive lung disease, and blood biomarkers of inflammation and tissue protease activity in tobacco-exposed individuals.

Methods

Two hundred and thirty-six Caucasian individuals were recruited into a sub-study of the University of Pittsburgh Specialized Center for Clinically Orientated Research in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a prospective cohort study of current and former smokers. The skin viscoelastic modulus (VE), a determinant of skin elasticity, was recorded from the volar forearm and facial wrinkling severity was determined using the Daniell scoring system.

Results

In a multiple regression analysis, reduced VE was significantly associated with cross-sectional measurement of airflow obstruction (FEV1/FVC) and emphysema quantified from computed tomography (CT) images, β = 0.26, p = 0.001 and β = 0.24, p = 0.001 respectively. In emphysema-susceptible individuals, elasticity-determined skin age was increased (median 4.6 years) compared to the chronological age of subjects without emphysema. Plasma biomarkers of inflammation (TNFR1, TNFR2, CRP, PTX3, and SAA) and matrix metalloproteinase activity (MMP1, TIMP1, TIMP2, and TIMP4) were inversely associated with skin elasticity.

Conclusions

We report that an objective non-invasive determinant of skin elasticity is independently associated with measures of lung function, pulmonary emphysema, and biomarkers of inflammation and tissue proteolysis in tobacco-exposed individuals. Loss of skin elasticity is a novel observation that may link the common pathological processes that drive tissue elastolysis in the extracellular matrix of the skin and lung in emphysema-susceptible individuals.
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Metadata
Title
Loss of skin elasticity is associated with pulmonary emphysema, biomarkers of inflammation, and matrix metalloproteinase activity in smokers
Authors
Michael E. O’Brien
Divay Chandra
Robert C. Wilson
Chad M. Karoleski
Carl R. Fuhrman
Joseph K. Leader
Jiantao Pu
Yingze Zhang
Alison Morris
Seyed Nouraie
Jessica Bon
Zsolt Urban
Frank C. Sciurba
Publication date
01-12-2019
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Respiratory Research / Issue 1/2019
Electronic ISSN: 1465-993X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12931-019-1098-7

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