DOSE AND TIME KINETICS OF APOPTOSIS AFTER ULTRA-VIOLET IRRADIATION IN EPIDERMOID CARCINOMA CELLS

A. Schindll, G. Klosner1, H. Hönigsmann1, G. Jori2, P.C. Calzavara-Pinton3, F. Trautinger1

1 Dept. of Dermatology, Div. of Special and Environmental Dermatology, University of Vienna Medical School, Austria;

2 Dept. of Biology, University of Padova, Italy;

3 Dept. of Dermatology, Brescia University Hospital, Italy

INTRODUCTION

Sunburn cells have long been recognised as a consequence of exposure of human skin to ultraviolet radiation (UVR). Recent evidence points to the fact that these cells resemble intraepidermal UV-induced apoptotic keratinocytes. So far the time and dose kinetics as well as the wavelength dependence of UV-induced apoptosis in epidermal cells has not been thoroughly documented. In this study UV-induced cell death was investigated in a permanently growing epidermal cell line using various physiologically and therapeutically relevant irradiation protocols.