Background: Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 is a growth factor that can influence fibroblast functioning, with effects including the inhibition of collagenases and the induction of collagen expression.
Objectives: To assess whether serum IGF-1, IGF-binding protein (IGFBP)3 and the ratio between IGF-1 and IGFBP3, as a measure of IGF-1 bioavailability, are associated with facial ageing and skin wrinkling.
Methods: From a random sample comprising 617 subjects from the Leiden Longevity Study, perceived age and skin wrinkling were assessed from facial photographs, and IGF-1 and IGFBP3 were measured in serum. The associations were assessed using linear regression models, adjusted for chronological age, sex, body mass index, smoking and sun exposure.
Results: Across tertiles of the ratio of IGF-1 to IGFBP3, and after adjusting for all potential confounding factors, the mean perceived age decreased from 60·6 years in the lowest tertile to 59·5 years in the highest (P = 0·045). Similarly, the mean skin wrinkling grade decreased from 4·8 in the lowest tertile to 4·5 in the highest (P = 0·011). Adding skin wrinkling as a covariate in the analysis between IGF-1 and perceived age diminished this association.
Conclusions: This study demonstrates that a higher ratio of IGF-1 to IGFBP3 associates with a lower perceived age, via its association with reduced skin wrinkling. Whether high IGF-1 levels actually delay the accumulation of skin wrinkling now needs investigating.
© 2012 The Authors. BJD © 2012 British Association of Dermatologists.