Resumo (EN)
Objective – To evaluate the influence of age, BMI (Body Mass Index) and sex on the number of dermal mast cells. Methods – 43 fragments of skin of the thoracic region of autopsied patients in the Hospital in Minas Gerais in the period 1994-2008 were selected, 21 elderly and 22 nonelderly. Histological sections of 4mm thick, stained with HE and Giemsa, were quantified mast cells in the dermis in na optical microscope with a 400x magnification. Results – The elderly male patients had a higher number of mast cells compared to the other groups. Among the non-elderly, women showed a greater number of mast cells in relation to men. Conclusions – There is variation in the number of dermal mast cells throughout life and, since these cellular components seem to act as a protective factor cutaneous, this variation can influence in protecting the skin against pathogenic agents.