Gene expression changes with time in skeletal muscle of severely burned children.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to identify gene-expression changes in leg muscle for up to 24 months after a severe thermal injury.


BACKGROUND
Hypermetabolism associated with severe burns was thought to cease with wound healing and closure. It has been recently shown that hypermetabolism does not completely resolve after healing, and muscle catabolism continues after hospital discharge; however, just how long after discharge has not been established.


METHODS
: Six children, admitted to our hospital within 1 week after injury, were studied. Patients ranged in age from 3 to 18 years, with flame or scald burns covering more than 40% of their body surface area. At 1.5, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months postburn, a biopsy of the vastus lateralis muscle was taken and snap frozen at -80 degrees C. Total RNA was isolated and in vitro transcribed and hybridized to HG-U95 Av.2 Affymetrix arrays. The images were scanned and analyzed using Affymetrix GeneChip Analysis Suite 5.2 and dChip programs. Using 1 to 7 days after injury as baseline, comparisons were made of expression profiles at the various time intervals after injury.


RESULTS
When comparisons are made to nonburned children, 38 genes were significantly altered at 1.5 months, 10 genes remained altered at 6 months, 4 remained altered at 12 months, and 2 at 18 months. No differences could be shown at 24 months. Western blot analysis of beta-2 microglobulin and myosin light chain was used to corroborate the microarray data.


CONCLUSIONS
Gene changes can be identified for up to 18 months after burn but not at 24 months. These gene changes may provide information concerning what genes in skeletal muscle contribute to recovery from burn trauma.
Dasu
Mohan R K
MR
Department of Surgery, The University of Texas Medical Branch, and Shriners Hospitals for Children, Galveston, TX 77550, USA.
Barrow
Robert E
RE
Herndon
David N
DN
D000293:Adolescent; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001830:Body Surface Area; D002053:Burn Units; D002056:Burns / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D011336:Probability; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods; D012016:Reference Values; D012494:Sampling Studies; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology
D009124:Muscle Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger