Steroid‐induced Dermal Atrophy

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Abstract
Collagen production by human skin fibroblast cultures was studied by incubation with [3H] proline and several glucocorticosteroids known to produce dermal atrophy in vivo. Collagen production was measured as formation of [3H]hydroxyproline or collagenase‐digestible3H‐polypeptides, and the values were corrected for changes in cell number in the same cultures. The steroids, in a wide concentration range, failed to elicit any consistent alterations in collagen production. Review of the literature dealing with corticosteroid‐induced changes in collagen production by human skin fibroblasts indicate conflicting results even under apparently similar incubation conditions. Consequently, no unifying hypothesis for steroid‐induced dermal atrophy can be developed presently based on the in vitro data.