Abstract
Subjective: In this study, the relationship between oxidized protein hydrolase (OPH) activity in the corneum and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in the skin is examined from the viewpoint of evaluating the effects of glycative stress on the skin.
Methods: The subjects were 124 healthy Japanese men and women. The corneum specimens were obtained from the inside of the right upper arm by tape stripping, followed by measurement of OPH activity and Nε-(carboxymethyl) lysine (CML) content. This study was conducted with the approval of the Ethics Review Committee.
Results: No correlation was observed between the age of the subjects and OPH activity in the corneum, while noted a weak negative correlation between age and CML content. A positive correlation was found between age and the content of accumulated skin AGEs. The OPH activity had a weak negative correlation with the CML content. Between the OPH activity and skin AGEs content, there was no correlation in the analysys with total subjects, but had a positive correlation in the subclass analysis with the female subjects who were 39 years old or younger. Additionally, a weak negative correlation was noted between CML and skin AGEs content.
Conclusion: The high OPH activity may be involved in the reduction of CML content in the corneum. The skin AGEs content increased with age, while the CML content decreased. The OPH activity did not correlate with age. It is considered that the CML content and OPH activity may not be directly affected by age-related changes.
