Type III collagen content in the skin of postmenopausal women receiving oestradiol and testosterone implants

Abstract

Objective To investigate the effect of subcutaneous oestradiol and testosterone on the proportion of type III collagen in the skin of postmenopausal women. Design A cross sectional comparison. Setting Dulwich Hospital menopause clinic. Subjects Fourteen untreated women and 11 women who had received subcutaneous oestradiol and testosterone for a median 8.0 years (range 3–14). Ten of the untreated women received subcutaneous hormone implants and the effect on skin collagen was studied prospectively. Measurements The proportion of type III collagen in skin biopsies taken from the lateral aspect of the thigh. Results The median type III collagen content in the skin of the women who had received hormone replacement therapy (25.4%, range 21.4–30.2) was significantly higher (P<0.01) than in the untreated women (19.6%, range 18.2–28.8). The proportion of type III collagen in the skin of 10 untreated women increased significantly (P<0.01) from a median of 19.9% (range 18.2–23.9) to 22.4% (range 20.5–31.5) following 6 months of treatment with hormone implants. Conclusion This study indicates an increase in the proportion of type III collagen in women receiving hormone replacement therapy.

The effect of oestradiol on vaginal collagen metabolism in postmenopausal women with genuine stress incontinence

“…Our findings are surprising; previous uncontrolled studies report higher levels of skin collagen when postmenopausal women take hormone replacement treatment for two to 10 years 15 , this could be occurring secondary to increased collagen synthesis 16 or inhibition of collagen loss 17 . Our study, analysing vaginal tissue, has shown the converse over a six-month treatment interval, with a significant drop in total vaginal collagen occurring after oestrogen therapy.…”

Effect of estrogens on skin aging and the potential role of SERMs

“…A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial carried out by Sauerbonn et al (2000) demonstrated an increase of 6.49% in skin collagen fi ber content after six months of treatment with an oral combination of estrogen and cytoproterone acetate. Other authors have demonstrated an increase in overall collagen content (Brincat et al 1987) and specifi cally collagen type III (Savvas et al 1993;Schmidt et al 1996). Another study found no difference in skin thickness or collagen content in upper arm or abdominal skin following oral estrogen therapy (Haapasaari et al 1997); however the patients in this study had only a short period of estrogen defi ciency (median time post-menopause 12 months), which may explain this fi nding.…”

Changes in connective tissue in patients with pelvic organ prolapse—a review of the current literature

“…The role of estrogen in collagen metabolism in POP As estrogen deficiency is a known risk factor for POP [65], estrogen replacement therapy traditionally has been used to improve structural integrity of the pelvic tissue with favourable effects on urinary incontinence [66][67][68][69]. Previously, estrogen receptors (ER) were identified in the nuclei of connective tissue and of the smooth muscle cells of the bladder trigone, urethra, vaginal mucosa, levator ani stromal and uterosacral ligament.…”