PROTECTION AGAINST UV PHOTOCARCINOGENESIS BY FABRIC MATERIALS

Background: Clothing fabrics have long been considered effective prote ction against shortterm and long-term sun damage. Recently, special '' highly UV-protective'' fabrics have been developed specifically for ph otosensitive patients. Objective: To determine if one such fabric will protect hairless mice against (pre)malignant lesions under conditions that will produce skin cancers through a typical summer fabric of mod erate sun protection factor (SPF). Methods: After prior determination of minimal erythemal dose, four sets of 10 animals were divided into t he following groups: (A) dark control (no irradiation); (B) positive c ontrol (no fabric); (C) ''typical summer'' fabric (SPF = 6.5 +/- 1.0); and (D) ''special'' fabric (SPF > 30 across a broad spectrum). Mice w ere irradiated on the dorsal surface 5 days per week, with biweekly in cremental increases (roughly 20% of the starting dose), for 12 weeks. Group B started at 6.3 J/cm(2), with biweekly increases of 1.45 J/cm(2 ) (total dose, 596 J/cm(2)); groups C and D started at 40.0 J/cm(2) wi th biweekly increases of 7.2 J/cm(2) (total dose, 3460 J/cm(2)). After irradiation, mice were observed for clinical and histologic signs of (pre)malignant lesions for an additional 12 weeks. Results: At the end of the 12-week irradiation period, nine mice in group B and six mice in group C had actinic keratosis-like lesions, whereas one mouse in gr oup B and two mice in group C had squamous cell carcinoma. By week 24, all mice in groups B and C had squamous cell carcinoma. Mice in group s A and D showed no discernable reaction at any time. Biopsy specimens confirmed the clinical results. Conclusion: Typical summer clothing f abrics may offer inadequate protection against skin cancer and pose hi gh risk to chronically photosensitive patients. The use of appropriate sun protective apparel should offer effective protection to photosens itive patients against shortterm and long-term photodamage.