Enhanced expression of ICAM-1 (CD 54) in human skin wounds: diagnostic value in legal medicine.
OBJECTIVE
It was the aim of this study to characterize the vitality and the age of skin wounds by verifying the presence of ICAM-1.


METHODS
132 intravital human skin wounds (time since injury 15 min-19 days) were investigated by immunohistochemistry. The samples were taken either after surgical treatment of the wounds or from autopsy cases.


METHODS
CD 54 was detected in paraffin sections by monoclonal antibodies after an autoclaving pretreatment using the ABC peroxidase technique.


RESULTS
In samples of uninjured skin (n = 30), ICAM-1 appeared at a low concentration on keratinocytes and the endothelial cells of blood vessels. In injured skin, an increase in the surface expression was found to occur initially after a post-trauma interval of 2 h. The evaluation was made on a semiquantitative basis. A moderate to strong ICAM-1 expression occurred in 80% of the wounds investigated.


CONCLUSIONS
The expression of ICAM-1 correlates with the degree of wound inflammation, which may be considered as an early evidence of the vitality of the wound.
Dressler
J
J
Department of Legal Medicine, Technical University, Medical School, Dresden, Germany.
Bachmann
L
L
Müller
E
E
D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000032:analysis*; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000737:chemistry; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012867:Skin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000293:injuries*; D013997:Time Factors; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000378:metabolism*
D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1