Distribution characteristics of sweat gland nerve fibres in normal humans identified by acetylcholinesterase histochemical staining

Abstract Objective To quantitatively analyze distribution characteristics of sweat gland nerve fibres (SGNF) in normal Chinese individuals for obtaining a reference for early diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy. Patients and methods Skin biopsy samples were collected from 192 normal Chinese individuals and divided into six, four and two groups according to anatomic sites, age and gender, respectively. SGNF morphology was observed and SGNF density (SGNFD) was determined. Results There was a significant difference in SGNFD among different anatomic sites, age and gender. A degressive tendency was observed from proximal to distal anatomic sites. SGNFD was the lowest in subjects in the 21–40-year-old age group, but was the highest in subjects in the >61-year-old age group. Overall, SGNFD fluctuated with age. SGNFD in males was significantly higher than that in females. Conclusions Distribution characteristics of SGNF in normal individuals may serve as a reference for early diagnosis of nerve fibre damage.