Background: Tobacco smoking may cause skin aging through mast cell proteinases. Objective: To compare the numbers of mast cells showing tryptase and chymase in the healthy-looking skin of smokers and non-smokers. Methods: The study subjects consisted of 80 males, 42 of whom were smokers and 38 non-smokers. A skin biopsy from the medial arm was processed for immunohistochemical staining of tryptase and chymase, as well as chymase inhibitors alpha-1-proteinase inhibitor (alpha-1-PI) and alpha-1-antichymotrypsin (alpha-1-AC). Results: The number of tryptase+ mast cells was significantly higher in the smoker group (84 ± 32 cells/mm2) than in the non-smoker group (70 ± 32 cells/mm2) (p = 0.044). Likewise, the number of chymase+ mast cells was higher in the smoker group (89 ± 20 vs. 80 ± 22 cells/mm2), though statistical significance was not reached (p = 0.07). No significant difference was observed in alpha-1-PI+ and alpha-1-AC+ cells. Conclusion: Especially tryptase, but probably also chymase, may have an influence on the skin of smokers, such as wrinkling and aging.

Keywords:
Tobacco, Smoking, Skin, Mast cell, Tryptase, Chymase
1.
Heloma A, Nurminen M, Reijula K, Rantanen J: Smoking prevalence, smoking-related lung diseases, and national tobacco control legislation. Chest 2004;126:1825-1831.
2.
Ortiz A, Grando SA: Smoking and the skin. Int J Dermatol 2012;51:250-262.
3.
Poikolainen K, Reunala T, Karvonen J: Smoking, alcohol and life events related to psoriasis among women. Br J Dermatol 1994;130:473-477.
4.
Daniell HW: Smoker's wrinkles: a study in the epidemiology of ‘crow's feet'. Ann Intern Med 1971;75:873-880.
5.
Song F, Qureshi AA, Gao X, Li T, Han J: Smoking and risk of skin cancer: a prospective analysis and a meta-analysis. Int J Epidemiol 2012;41:1694-1705.
6.
Karagas MR, Stukel TA, Greenberg ER, Baron JA, Mott LA, Stern RS: Risk of subsequent basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the skin among patients with prior skin cancer. JAMA 1992;267:3305-3310.
7.
Erbagci Z, Erkilic S: Can smoking and/or occupational UV exposure have any role in the development of the morpheaform basal cell carcinoma? A critical role for peritumoral mast cells. Int J Dermatol 2002;41:275-278.
8.
Irani AM, Bradford TR, Kepley CL, Schechter NM, Schwartz LB: Detection of MCT and MCTC types of human mast cells by immunohistochemistry using new monoclonal anti-tryptase and anti-chymase antibodies. J Histochem Cytochem 1989;37:1509-1515.
9.
Weidner N, Austen KF: Heterogeneity of mast cells at multiple body sites. Fluorescent determination of avidin binding and immunofluorescent determination of chymase, tryptase, and carboxypeptidase content. Pathol Res Pract 1993;189:156-162.
10.
Harvima IT, Nilsson G, Suttle MM, Naukkarinen A: Is there a role for mast cells in psoriasis? Arch Dermatol Res 2008;300:461-478.
11.
Briggaman RA, Schechter NM, Fräki JE, Lazarus GS: Degradation of the epidermal-dermal junction by proteolytic enzymes from human skin and human polymorphonuclear leukocytes. J Exp Med 1984;160:1027-1042.
12.
Kaminska R, Helisalmi P, Harvima RJ, Naukkarinen A, Horsmanheimo M, Harvima IT: Focal dermal-epidermal separation and fibronectin cleavage in basement membrane by human mast cell tryptase. J Invest Dermatol 1999;113:567-573.
13.
Huttunen M, Harvima IT: Mast cell tryptase and chymase in chronic leg ulcers: chymase is potentially destructive to epithelium and is controlled by protease inhibitors. Br J Dermatol 2005;152:1149-1160.
14.
Lazaar AL, Plotnick MI, Kucich U, Crichton I, Lotfi S, Das SKP, Kane S, Rosenbloom J, Panettieri RA Jr, Schechter NM, Puré E: Mast cell chymase modifies cell-matrix interactions and inhibits mitogen-induced proliferation of human airway smooth muscle cells. J Immunol 2002;169:1014-1020.
15.
Saarinen J, Kalkkinen N, Welgus HG, Kovanen PT: Activation of human interstitial procollagenase through direct cleavage of the Leu83-Thr84 bond by mast cell chymase. J Biol Chem 1994;269:18134-18140.
16.
Gruber BL, Marchese MJ, Suzuki K, Schwartz LB, Okada Y, Nagase H, Ramamurthy NS: Synovial procollagenase activation by human mast cell tryptase: dependence upon matrix metalloproteinase 3 activation. J Clin Invest 1989;84:1657-1662.
17.
Stack MS, Johnson DA: Human mast cell tryptase activates single-chain urinary-type plasminogen activator (pro-urokinase). J Biol Chem 1994;269:9416-9419.
18.
Abe M, Kurosawa M, Ishikawa O, Miyachi Y, Kido H: Mast cell tryptase stimulates both human dermal fibroblast proliferation and type I collagen production. Clin Exp Allergy 1998;28:1509-1517.
19.
Cairns JA, Walls AF: Mast cell tryptase stimulates the synthesis of type I collagen in human lung fibroblasts. J Clin Invest 1997;99:1313-1321.
20.
Blair RJ, Meng H, Marchese MJ, Ren S, Schwartz LB, Tonnesen MG, Gruber BL: Human mast cells stimulate vascular tube formation: tryptase is a novel, potent angiogenic factor. J Clin Invest 1997;99:2691-2700.
21.
Kofford MW, Schwartz LB, Schechter NM, Yager DR, Diegelmann RF, Graham MF: Cleavage of type I procollagen by human mast cell chymase initiates collagen fibril formation and generates a unique carboxyl-terminal propeptide. J Biol Chem 1997;272:7127-7131.
22.
Taipale J, Lohi J, Saarinen J, Kovanen PT, Keski-Oja J: Human mast cell chymase and leukocyte elastase release latent transforming growth factor-β1 from the extracellular matrix of cultured human epithelial and endothelial cells. J Biol Chem 1995;270:4689-4696.
23.
Iddamalgoda A, Le QT, Ito K, Tanaka K, Kojima H, Kido H: Mast cell tryptase and photoaging: possible involvement in the degradation of extra cellular matrix and basement membrane proteins. Arch Dermatol Res 2008;300(suppl 1):S69-S76.
24.
Bosset S, Bonnet-Duquennoy M, Barré P, Chalon A, Kurfurst R, Bonté F, Schnébert S, Le Varlet B, Nicolas JF: Photoageing shows histological features of chronic skin inflammation without clinical and molecular abnormalities. Br J Dermatol 2003;149:826-835.
25.
Small-Howard A, Turner H: Exposure to tobacco-derived materials induces overproduction of secreted proteinases in mast cells. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2005;204:152-163.
26.
Harvima IT, Naukkarinen A, Harvima RJ, Fräki JE: Immunoperoxidase and enzyme-histochemical demonstration of human skin tryptase in cutaneous mast cells in normal and mastocytoma skin. Arch Dermatol Res 1988;280:363-370.
27.
Raitio A, Kontinen J, Rasi M, Bloigu R, Röning J, Oikarinen A: Comparison of clinical and computerized image analyses in the assessment of skin ageing in smokers and non-smokers. Acta Derm Venereol 2004;84:422-427.
28.
Diaconu NC, Kaminska R, Naukkarinen A, Harvima RJ, Harvima IT: The increase in tryptase- and chymase-positive mast cells is associated with partial inactivation of chymase and increase in protease inhibitors in basal cell carcinoma. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2007;21:908-915.
29.
Knuutinen A, Kokkonen N, Risteli J, Vähäkangas K, Kallioinen M, Salo T, Sorsa T, Oikarinen A: Smoking affects collagen synthesis and extracellular matrix turnover in human skin. Br J Dermatol 2002;146:588-594.
30.
Raitio A, Tuomas H, Kokkonen N, Salo T, Sorsa T, Hanemaaijer R, Oikarinen A: Levels of matrix metalloproteinase-2, -9 and -8 in the skin, serum and saliva of smokers and non-smokers. Arch Dermatol Res 2005;297:242-248.
31.
Knuutinen A, Kallioinen M, Vähäkangas K, Oikarinen A: Smoking and skin: a study of the physical qualities and histology of skin in smokers and non-smokers. Acta Derm Venereol 2002;82:36-40.
32.
Mortaz E, Folkerts G, Engels F, Nijkamp FP, Redegeld FA: Cigarette smoke suppresses in vitro allergic activation of mouse mast cells. Clin Exp Allergy 2009;39:679-687.
33.
Thomas PS, Schreck RE, Lazarus SC: Tobacco smoke releases preformed mediators from canine mast cells and modulates prostaglandin production. Am J Physiol 1992;263(1 Pt 1): L67-L72.
34.
Cardoso JF, Mendes FA, Amadeu TP, Romana-Souza B, Valença SS, Porto LC, Abreu JG, Monte-Alto-Costa A: CCn2/Ctgf overexpression induced by cigarette smoke during cutaneous would healing is strain dependent. Toxicol Pathol 2009;37:175-182.
35.
Harvima IT, Nilsson G: Mast cells as regulators of skin inflammation and immunity. Acta Derm Venereol 2011;91:644-650.
36.
Ekoff M, Lyberg K, Krajewska M, Arvidsson M, Rak S, Reed JC, Harvima I, Nilsson G: Anti-apoptotic BFL-1 is the major effector in activation-induced human mast cell survival. PLoS One 2012;7:e39117.
37.
Andersson CK, Mori M, Bjermer L, Löfdahl CG, Erjefält JS: Alterations in lung mast cell populations in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2010;181:206-217.
38.
Zhang X, Zheng H, Ma W, Wang F, Zeng X, Liu C, He S: Tryptase enzyme activity is correlated with severity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Tohoku J Exp Med 2011;224:179-187.
39.
Miot HA, Miot LD, Lopes PS, Haddad GR, Marques SA: Association between palmoplantar pustulosis and cigarette smoking in Brazil: a case-control study. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2009;23:1173-1177.
40.
Armstrong AW, Armstrong EJ, Fuller EN, Sockolov ME, Voyles SV: Smoking and pathogenesis of psoriasis: a review of oxidative, inflammatory and genetic mechanisms. Br J Dermatol 2011;165:1162-1168.
41.
Sitas F, Yu XQ, O'Connell DL, Blizzard L, Otahal P, Newman L, Venn A: The relationship between basal and squamous cell skin cancer and smoking related cancers. BMC Res Notes 2011;4:556.
42.
Ch'ng S, Wallis RA, Yuan L, Davis PF, Tan ST: Mast cells and cutaneous malignancies. Mod Pathol 2006;19:149-159.
© 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel
2014
Copyright / Drug Dosage / Disclaimer
Copyright: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated into other languages, reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, microcopying, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Drug Dosage: The authors and the publisher have exerted every effort to ensure that drug selection and dosage set forth in this text are in accord with current recommendations and practice at the time of publication. However, in view of ongoing research, changes in government regulations, and the constant flow of information relating to drug therapy and drug reactions, the reader is urged to check the package insert for each drug for any changes in indications and dosage and for added warnings and precautions. This is particularly important when the recommended agent is a new and/or infrequently employed drug.
Disclaimer: The statements, opinions and data contained in this publication are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publishers and the editor(s). The appearance of advertisements or/and product references in the publication is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval of the products or services advertised or of their effectiveness, quality or safety. The publisher and the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content or advertisements.
You do not currently have access to this content.