Are fibrocytes present in pediatric burn wounds?

Objective of the study is to investigate for the presence of fibrocytes, a leucocyte found at sites of injury with fibroblast-like properties, within pediatric burn wounds. Seventy 3 mm punch biopsies were taken from 53 burn wounds in 33 children between 7 months and 15 years of age at the time of planned operative debridement and grafting. After fixation and sectioning, immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining was performed for CD34, pro-collagen I, alpha smooth muscle actin, transforming growth factor beta1 and Leucocyte Specific Protein-1 (LSP-1).

The use of proteomics to study wound healing: a preliminary study for forensic estimation of wound age.

Proteomics is the analysis of the protein complement of the genome. The technique involves extracting proteins from the tissue being examined; separating the proteins using methods such as two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and then identifying the proteins by mass spectrometry. This paper describes the application of proteomics to incised wounds of the rat to determine if this technology could be applied to the important forensic issue of determining the age of wounds.

Using the inflammatory cell infiltrate to estimate the age of human burn wounds: A review and immunohistochemical study.

Unlabelled: The burn wound healing process, which is reviewed in this paper, has features that differ from the healing of incised cutaneous wounds. This study used immunohistochemical staining and cell counting to examine the inflammatory cell response in biopsy samples of burn wounds from live human subjects obtained at six hours until 23 days after injury in order to determine how the age of a burn could be estimated. Acute inflammatory cells predominated in samples taken six hours to two days after injury.

A study of burns for wound ageing reveals changes in unburnt skin with implications for future research.

Thirty-three punch biopsy sets of burn wound edge and adjacent unburnt skin from burn wounds aged six hours to 23 days were obtained from 18 patients. Immunohistochemical staining was performed for transforming growth factor beta receptor, epidermal growth factor receptor and MIB-1 (which stains the cell cycle associated antigen ki-67) in addition to integrins alpha V, 5 and 3 to assess for temporal patterns that might assist in the ageing of burn wounds. There was an early (12hr-4day) rise in integrin alpha V expression, an increasing expression of transforming growth factor beta receptor from 12 hours onwards, and increased expression of MIB-1 commencing at 2 days.

A study of p53 expression in thermal burns of human skin for determination of wound age.

Early expression of p53 protein in thermal burns of guinea pig skin has been reported. This study sought to determine if expression occurred in thermal burns of human skin and if immunohistochemical demonstration of p53 protein could be utilised to distinguish ante-mortem from post-mortem injuries as well as indicating the age of a lesion in the living subject. Biopsy samples were obtained from live patients and post-mortem examinations.