Menopause, Ultraviolet Exposure, and Low Water Intake Potentially Interact with the Genetic Variants Related to Collagen Metabolism Involved in Skin Wrinkle Risk in Middle-Aged Women.

Genetic and environmental factors influence wrinkle development. We evaluated the polygenetic risk score (PRS) by pooling the selected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for wrinkles and the interaction of PRS with lifestyle factors in middle-aged women. Under the supervision of a dermatologist, the skin status of 128 women aged over 40 years old was evaluated with Mark-Vu, a skin diagnosis system. PRS was generated from the selected SNPs for wrinkle risk from the genome-wide association study. Lifestyle interactions with PRS were also evaluated for wrinkle risk. Participants in the wrinkled group were more likely to be post-menopausal, eat less fruit, take fewer vitamin supplements, exercise less, and be more tired after awakening in the morning than those in the less-wrinkled group. The PRS included EGFR_rs1861003, MMP16_rs6469206, and COL17A1_rs805698. Subjects with high PRS had a wrinkle risk 15.39-fold higher than those with low PRS after adjusting for covariates, and they had a 10.64-fold higher risk of a large skin pore size. Menopause, UV exposure, and water intake interacted with PRS for wrinkle risk: the participants with high PRS had a much higher incidence of wrinkle risk than those with low PRS, only among post-menopausal women and those with UV exposure. Only with low water intake did the participants with medium PRS have increased wrinkle risk. In conclusion, women aged >40 years with high PRS-related collagen metabolism may possibly avoid wrinkle risk by avoiding UV exposure by applying sunscreen, maintaining sufficient water intake, and managing estrogen deficiency.

77 Korean ancestry wrinkled cases, 51 Korean ancestry less wrinkled controls