Associations between Silicone Skin Cast Score, Cumulative Sun Exposure, and Other Factors in the Ausimmune Study: A Multicenter Australian Study

Abstract

Past sun exposure is linked to a wide range of disease outcomes but is difficult to measure accurately. Silicone skin casts measure skin damage, but some studies show that age rather than sun exposure is the most important determinant of cast score. We examined skin damage scores from silicone casts of the back of the hand in a large adult sample (n = 534) with a broad range of past cumulative UV radiation (UVR) doses. Participants were ages 18 to 61 years and resided in one of four locations down the eastern Australian seaboard, spanning 27-43°S. Data were collected by questionnaire and during a nurse-led interview and examination. Silicone casts were graded from 1 to 6, where higher score represents greater damage. Higher skin damage score was associated with lighter skin pigmentation [adjusted odds ratio (AOR), 4.51; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 2.33-8.75], fairer natural hair color, particularly red hair (AOR, 11.31; 95% CI, 4.08-31.36), and blue/gray eyes (AOR, 1.72; 95% CI,

Factors Associated with Premature Skin Aging (Photoaging) before the Age of 55: A Population-Based Study

“…Accumulated sun exposure along with increasing chronological age makes the skin more susceptible to solar ultraviolet radiation-induced damage because of the skin’s resultant prooxidant state [24] and its impaired DNA repair mechanisms [25]. Apart from age, the factors most predictive of premature skin aging were male sex and fair skin color, as also observed by previous authors [11,12]. Other factors that were significantly positively associated with many skin aging changes were natural red hair at the age of 21 and mainly outdoor occupations or recreational activities.…”

“…Although histological detection of dermal elastosis in skin tissue samples is considered the ‘gold standard’ in diagnosing photoaging, clinical diagnosis with noninvasive techniques is clearly preferable. The easiest and most popular technique is highly subjective: counting or scoring of visible wrinkles and other changes [6,7,8,9]; objective techniques include measurement of skin extensibility [10] and assessment of skin topography using silicone impressions [11,12]. Few investigators have examined factors associated with any of these photoaging measurements however.…”

“…A high estimated life sun exposure has been related to visible neck wrinkling in a Dutch hospital-based population [14], but periods spent living or holidaying abroad were not sufficient to increase the risk of skin aging (assessed by microtopography) in young English women [15]. Among those of European descent living at low latitudes, a tendency to sunburn and cumulative sun exposure have been associated with skin aging assessed by microtopography [12,16]. Evidence for the effect of other factors such as body weight, smoking and alcohol consumption is contradictory.…”

Cutaneous Markers of Photo-Damage and Risk of Basal Cell Carcinoma of the Skin: A Meta-Analysis

“…In addition, report of exposure to the sun does not necessarily capture the relevant dose at a cellular level due to differences in skin type. There are several markers of chronic sun exposure, including actinic keratosis (24), elastosis, telangiectasia, and solar lentigines (25)(26)(27)(28) and assessment of the association between these and BCC provides a more objective measure of the impact of cumulative UVR exposure. Although there are studies that have explored this issue, there has been no previous attempt to synthesize this literature.…”

Population attributable fractions and joint effects of key risk factors for multiple sclerosis

“…Skin reflectance on the buttock (non-sun-exposed site) was measured using a hand-held spectrophotometer (Minolta 2500d) to estimate cutaneous melanin density. 17 Most participants provided a blood sample (94%). Serum aliquots (1 ml) were stored at −80°C and analysed at study completion.…”