In vitro investigations related to the hypothesis that Lipoatrophia semicircularis finds its origin in electro-stimulation.

Lipoatrophia semicircularis (L.s.) is an idiopathic condition characterized by semicircular impressions of the skin, usually at the front and sides of both thighs. It is characterized by atrophy of the subcutaneous adipocytes whereas the skin and muscles remain normal. L.s. was originally considered to be very rare but over the past 13 years an outburst of L.s. has been observed in companies in Belgium and later on also in companies in other countries (e.g., Spain) where several hundred individuals were diagnosed with L.s. All these subjects belonged to the administrative personnel and worked in renovated or new offices. Different hypotheses have been put forward to explain the appearance of Lipoatrophia semicircularis but the hypothesis of an 'electric' origin of L.s. is probably the best documented and plausible. The present study was aimed to further investigate the likelihood of this hypothesis. The alkaline comet assay was used to investigate DNA damage in cells of different origin following exposure to a (strong) electric current. It was found that adipocytes showed more DNA damage than the other cells and hence that they are more vulnerable to such a current than macrophages and white blood cells. It was also found that DNA damage is significantly induced by an electric current in the blood from L.s. subjects whereas this is not so in blood from subjects without L.s. This may indicate that L.s. subjects are more responsive to an induced electric current and supports the hypothesis of an 'electric' origin of L.s.