Immunohistochemical localization of collagen types I and VI in human skin wounds.
A total of 74 human skin wounds were investigated and collagen types I and VI were localized in the wound area by immunohistochemistry. Collagen type I appeared in the form of ramifying string-like structures after approximately 5-6 days, but positive reactions in the form of a spot-like staining around isolated fibroblasts also occurred in a skin wound aged 4 days. Collagen VI was detectable after a post-infliction interval of at least 3 days showing a strongly positive reacting network associated with fibroblasts in the wound area. Both collagens appeared almost constantly after a wound age of 6-7 days and could also be found in wounds aged a few months. Therefore, although a positive reaction for collagen type I in the form of string-like and ramifying structures around wound fibroblasts indicates a wound age of at least 5-6 days, a spot-like positive staining for collagen type I cannot exclude a wound age of at least 4 days. A positive staining for collagen type VI represents a post-infliction time of 3 days or more. The almost constant appearance of these collagen types suggests that negative results in a sufficient number of specimens indicate a wound age of less than 6-7 days, but cannot completely exclude longer post-infliction intervals. Since collagen type I and VI are also found in the granulation/scar tissue of lesions with advanced wound age, the immunohistochemical analysis of these proteins provides no further information for an age determination of older skin wounds.
Department of Legal Medicine, University of Munich, Germany.
P
P
Betz
A
A
Nerlich
J
J
Wilske
J
J
Tübel
R
R
Penning
W
W
Eisenmenger
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000473:pathology; D003094:Collagen / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006097:Granulation Tissue / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D012867:Skin / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*
D003094:Collagen