title: Production of VEGF and b-FGF in drainage fluid from patients undergoing incisional hernia repair.
abstract: Wound healing is a complex process involving interaction between different cell types, such as growth factors. Among these, vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factors (b-FGF) are the most important. The aim of this study was to assess the production of VEGF and b-FGF in wound drainage fluid from patients undergoing incisional abdominal hernia repair. Ten female patients with abdominal midline incisional hernia undergoing surgical repair were included in this study. In all cases a closed suction drain was placed in the wound below the fascia and removed on postoperative day 4. Wound fluid was collected on the I, II, III and IV day and its amount at each time was recorded. VEGF and b-FGF production were evaluated as the quantity produced in 24 hours. In all patients the amount of drainage fluid from the surgical wound was highest on the I day after surgery, after which there was a significant reduction. VEGF production increased progressively after the operation proving significantly higher only on the IV day. The amount of b-FGF, in contrast, was higher on the I day, decreasing thereafter on the following postoperative days. Analysis of the production of growth factors in the drainage fluid has enabled us to better assess the events that occur following surgical wounds and has confirmed the physiology of the healing process and the possible use of these factors in modulating positive healing.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Discipline Chirurgiche ed Oncologiche, Divisione di Chirurgia Generale, Università degli Studi di Palermo.
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Vita
authors.forename: Rosalia
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Patti
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vetri
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: D'Agostino
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Caruso
authors.forename: Viviana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ferlazzo
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Arcoleo
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sammartano
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sieli
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cillari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004322:Drainage; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005122:Exudates and Transudates; D005260:Female; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006555:Hernia, Ventral / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2