@article{3191193,
    title = "The systemic influence of chronic smoking on skin structure and
mechanical function",
    author = "Langton, Abigail K. and Tsoureli-Nikita, Evridiki and Merrick, Holly and and Zhao, Xuegen and Antoniou, Christina and Stratigos, Alexander and and Akhtar, Riaz and Derby, Brian and Sherratt, Michael J. and Watson, and Rachel E. B. and Griffiths, Christopher E. M.",
    journal = "Iranian Journal of Pathology",
    year = "2020",
    volume = "251",
    number = "4",
    pages = "420-428",
    publisher = "Wiley",
    doi = "10.1002/path.5476",
    keywords = "elastic fibres; elastin; fibrillin-rich microfibrils; skin; tobacco
smoke exposure",
    abstract = "One of the major functions of human skin is to provide protection from
the environment. Although we cannot entirely avoid, for example, sun
exposure, it is likely that exposure to other environmental factors
could affect cutaneous function. A number of studies have identified
smoking as one such factor that leads to both facial wrinkle formation
and a decline in skin function. In addition to the direct physical
effects of tobacco smoke on skin, its inhalation has additional profound
systemic effects for the smoker. The adverse effects on the respiratory
and cardiovascular systems from smoking are well known. Central to the
pathological changes associated with smoking is the elastic fibre, a key
component of the extracellular matrices of lungs. In this study we
examined the systemic effect of chronic smoking (>40 cigarettes/day; >5
years) on the histology of the cutaneous elastic fibre system, the
nanostructure and mechanics of one of its key components, the
fibrillin-rich microfibril, and the micromechanical stiffness of the
dermis and epidermis. We show that photoprotected skin of chronic
smokers exhibits significant remodelling of the elastic fibre network
(both elastin and fibrillin-rich microfibrils) as compared to the skin
of age- and sex-matched non-smokers. This remodelling is not associated
with increased gelatinase activity (as identified byin situzymography).
Histological remodelling is accompanied by significant ultrastructural
changes to extracted fibrillin-rich microfibrils. Finally, using
scanning acoustic microscopy, we demonstrated that chronic smoking
significantly increases the stiffness of both the dermis and the
epidermis. Taken together, these data suggest an unappreciated systemic
effect of chronic inhalation of tobacco smoke on the cutaneous elastic
fibre network. Such changes may in part underlie the skin wrinkling and
loss of skin elasticity associated with smoking. (c) 2020 The
Authors.The Journal of Pathologypublished by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on
behalf of Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland."
}