Morphological characteristics of intraepidermal nerve fibers by skin biopsy in healthy Chinese
10.3760/cma.j.issn.1671-8925.2017.07.016
- VernacularTitle:通过皮肤活检评估正常人表皮神经纤维形态学特点
- Author:
Yun CAI
1
;
Jinwei XUE
;
Yongdan LIU
;
Ying LI
;
Yunxiao WEI
;
Li LING
Author Information
1. 河北大学附属医院神经内科
- Keywords:
Intraepidermal nerve fiber;
Morphology;
Peripheral neuropathy
- From:
Chinese Journal of Neuromedicine
2017;16(7):730-733
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective To explore the morphological characteristics of intraepidermal nerve fibers in healthy Chinese by skin biopsy,to provide reference basis for the early diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy.Methods Skin biopsies samples were obtained from 192 healthy volunteers (half male and half female,collected in our hospital from June 2009 to August 2013),and these samples were divided into 6 groups according to different anatomic sites (far-end of the upper arm,far-end of the forearm,opisthenar,near-end of thigh,far-end of crus and acrotarsium) and 4 groups according to age (patients of younger than 20,patients of 21-40 years old,patients of 41-60 years old and patients of older than 61).Morphological observation of the intraepidermal nerve fibers was performed by skin biopsy and immunohistochemical technique.Results Various branch models emerged at each location:non-branching,branching at the epidermis-dermis junction,branching near the epidermis-dermis junction,branching at faraway side of epidermis-dermis junction,and branching near the cuticle.Branch models showed no significant diferences among patients of different ages.The above branch models appeared in far-end of the upper arm,far-end of the forearm,opisthenar,near-end of thigh,far-end of crus and acrotarsium,and as body based site famess,skin nerve fibers usually had more branches,and more axon expansion and varicose.Conclusions The age and lanatomic sites do not affect the branching pattems of intraepidermal nerve fibers.The closer to the extremities,the more branches of the intraepidermal nerve fiber.
