OBJECTIVEEstrogens play an important role in intrinsic skin aging. The associated changes in global gene expression are poorly understood.

METHODSWe used the Illumina microarray platform to obtain comprehensive gene expression profiles in female Chinese Han skin, and confirmed the data by quantitative real-time PCR (Q-RT-PCR).

RESULTSWe found 244 genes significantly related to estrogen-associated intrinsic skin aging, and some of these genes were confirmed by Q-RT-PCR. We also performed functional analysis by both Gene Ontology annotation and enrichment of the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways database. The functional analysis revealed 11 biological pathways (including the KEGG pathways, the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway and metabolic pathways), that were associated with multiple cellular functions which may be involved in intrinsic skin aging.

CONCLUSIONThis study suggests that estrogen-associated intrinsic skin aging is a complicated biological process involving many genes and pathways.

Aging ; physiology ; China ; ethnology ; Estrogens ; metabolism ; Female ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Gene Expression Regulation ; physiology ; Humans ; Menopause ; Middle Aged ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; methods ; RNA ; genetics ; metabolism ; Skin ; metabolism