Abstract
<jats:p>Relevance. With blepharochalasis, age-related structural changes in the periorbital region are observed due to a decrease in hormonal regulation of connective tissue. The biological action of estrogens is realized through interaction with estrogen receptors alpha (ER-α) and beta (ER-β), the expression of which affects trophic and regenerative processes in the dermis. Changes in the level of these receptors in women of different age and hormonal groups may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of blepharochalasis. Purpose of the study was to evaluate the clinical and immunohistochemical characteristics of the upper eyelid skin in blepharochalasis in women of different age and hormonal groups based on the expression levels of ER-α and ER-β estrogen receptors. Materials and methods. After a standard ophthalmological examination, 90 patients with blepharochalasis aged 24 to 67 years were divided into three groups according to age and hormonal status. Additionally, all patients underwent: assessment of the condition of the upper eyelid skin, biopsy sampling, immunohistochemical examination using monoclonal antibodies to estrogen receptors ER-α and ER-β, and assessment of expression levels using the H-score method. Results. The mean ER-α expression values in patients of reproductive age were 78.4±4.6 points, in the perimenopausal group — 61.2±3.9, and in the postmenopausal group — 44.7±3.2. A similar trend was observed in the assessment of ER-β: 72.9±4.1; 58.6±3.4 and 39.5±2.8, respectively. Dispersion analysis revealed statistically significant differences between the study groups in terms of ER-α (p=0.0003) and ER-β (p=0.0001) expression levels. Conclusion. The results obtained indicate a decrease in estrogen receptor expression with increasing patient age and confirm the involvement of hormonal factors in the development of blepharochalasis.</jats:p>