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SKIN FERMENTS
1Laboratory of Physiological Chemistry of the College of Medicine of the University of Illinois, Chicago.
The Journal of Experimental Medicine
|October 30, 2009
Summary
Skin reactivity changes significantly from infancy to childhood, linked to alterations in skin ferments. Young skin
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Biochemistry
- Immunology
Background:
- Skin reactivity to antigens changes markedly during the transition from infancy to childhood.
- Previous studies noted infants' lack of reaction to bacterial toxins, with reactivity increasing with age.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between changes in skin proteolytic ferments and altered skin reactivity from infancy to childhood.
- To explore the role of specific enzymes like protease and peptidase in skin's response to antigens.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of skin ferment activity (protease, peptidase, lipase) in fetal/young vs. adult skin.
- Review of existing literature on skin reactivity to various antigens (bacterial toxins, Witte's peptone, colon bacilli, tuberculin).
Main Results:
- Fetal skin protease shows limited autolysis, unlike adult skin protease, suggesting a predominant synthetic function.
- Young skin possesses significant peptidase activity, capable of digesting partially hydrolyzed proteins like tuberculin.
- Adult skin appears to lack peptidase activity, potentially hindering antigen breakdown.
Conclusions:
- Altered skin reactivity after infancy is strongly correlated with changes in skin's proteolytic ferment composition.
- Peptidase activity in young skin may facilitate rapid digestion and detoxification of certain antigens.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the precise role of these ferments in specific skin reactions and resistance to infections like tuberculosis.
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