title: The time-related expression of p53 protein in human skin wounds--a quantitative immunohistochemical analysis.
abstract: The time-dependent expression of p53 protein during wound healing has been investigated by immunochemistry in fibroblastic cells of skin wounds ranging between a few minutes and 11 weeks old. When compared to uninjured skin, an increased expression of p53 was found earliest in a wound with a postinfliction interval of 3 days. The ratio (r) of positively stained cells in relation to the total number of fibroblastic cells in the wound area of this specimen was about 0.2. A considerable increase in the expression of p53 (r > 0.5) was first found in a wound aged 8 days and in wounds with postinfliction intervals ranging between 3 and 11 weeks, where the ratio of positive cells was between 0.40 and 0.64. Therefore, it can be calculated that r-values of at least 0.5 indicate a postinfliction interval of approximately 1 week or more. Since comparably low numbers of positively stained fibroblastic cells were found in specimens with an advanced wound duration, reliable information for a forensic wound age estimation can only be provided by positive results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hausmann
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nerlich
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Betz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001344:Autopsy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism*; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*; D014950:Wounds, Penetrating / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53