[Cytokinetics and keratins of keratinocytes from skin of the elderly]

Regarding the keratin pattern of non-exposed skin, we found no significant qualitative or quantitative differences between 6 old persons (mean age 85 years) and 4 young adults (mean age 20 years). There was, however, a slight increase of proliferation keratins (K6, K16) in aged skin. In non-exposed skin taken from 6 old (mean age 70 years) and 5 young persons (mean age 37 years), longterm primary submersion cultures of keratinocytes did not show any significant differences as far as the classical parameters of growth behavior were concerned (i.e. plating efficiency, cell count, and labeled thymidine incorporation). In accordance with these findings, daily measurements of the thymidine kinase activity in the supernatants revealed discrete but not significant differences between keratinocytes in aged people and those in young persons.