title: Ontogeny of expression of basic fibroblast growth factor and its receptors in human fetal skin.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the expression characteristics of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and its receptors, flg (FGFR1) and bek (FGFR2), in fetal skin at different gestational ages underlying the relevance of these 3 proteins to skin development and the mechanisms underlying the phenotypic transition from scarless to scar-forming healing.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen specimens of fetal skin biopsies of human embryo were obtained from spontaneous abortions at different gestational ages of 13-32 weeks. Gene expression of bFGF, bek and flg was examined with reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The dynamic expression and distribution of these 3 proteins were detected with streptavidin peroxidase (SP) immunohistochemical staining method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the early gestational fetal skin, genes of bFGF and flg were strongly expressed and more protein contents of these 2 proteins were found as compared with the genes at late gestation fetal skin (2.446+/-0.116 and 2.066+/-0.152 versus 2.157+/-0.101 and 1.818+/-0.086, respectively, P<0.05). On the contrary, the levels of gene expression and protein content of bek were not differently expressed in the early gestational fetal skin versus the late ones. Protein particles of bFGF were mainly distributed in the epidermal cells and some fibroblasts. Bek was mainly located in the cell membrane and cytoplasm of epidermal cells while flg protein was principally located in the epidermal cells, endothelial cells and some fibroblasts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The endogenous bFGF and their receptors might be involved in the cutaneous development at fetal stage. The differently expressing levels of bFGF and flg during gestation may be related to scarless or scar-forming repair during gestation.
authors.affiliation: Key Research Laboratory of Wound Repair, Burn Institute, Clinical Department, General Hospital of PLA, Beijing 100037, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xiao-Bing
authors.initials: XB
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Shi-Li
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.forename: Tong-Zhu
authors.initials: TZ
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Zhi-Yong
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Sheng