Differential effect of burn injury on fibroblasts from wounds and normal skin.
BACKGROUND
Although there are well-recognized fluctuations in the systemic concentration of cytokines and growth factors after burn injuries, the effect on wound-healing potential in patients is not well understood. The objective of this study was to characterize the proliferation rate and response of wound and dermal fibroblasts to cytokines in burn patients compared with normal subjects.


METHODS
Polyvinyl alcohol sponges were implanted subcutaneously in normal subjects and burn patients soon after admission. Sponges were removed for wound fibroblast explantation after 12 days. At the same time, a small piece of skin was excised for dermal fibroblast explantation. Fibroblast proliferation was then quantified after exposure to 10% fetal bovine serum, 1% fetal bovine serum, interleukin-1, transforming growth factor-beta1, or interferon-alpha2b.


RESULTS
Normal subjects' dermal fibroblasts (n = 7) exposed to 10% fetal bovine serum showed significantly increased proliferation relative to normal subjects' wound fibroblasts (n = 3) (p < 0.0005), burn patients' dermal fibroblasts (n = 5) (p < 0.05), and burn patients' wound fibroblasts (n = 5) (p < 0.0001). Burn patients' dermal fibroblast proliferation was also significantly augmented relative to burn patients' wound fibroblasts (p < 0.005); however, there was no significant difference between the two wound fibroblast types. Proliferation of burn subjects' fibroblasts was significantly enhanced with the addition of interleukin-1 and significantly decreased for dermal fibroblasts with interferon-alpha2b. A significant elevation of proliferation with transforming growth factor-beta1 was seen only with burn patients' dermal fibroblasts.


CONCLUSIONS
The data suggest that systemic mediators markedly alter the proliferation potential of dermal fibroblasts but not of wound fibroblasts. However, the wound environment substantially alters both the proliferation rate and the responsiveness of fibroblasts to cytokines. Thus, the data support the value of using wound fibroblasts during preliminary in vitro experiments to investigate wound-healing modification by cytokine manipulation.
Nedelec
Bernadette
B
Montréal, Québec, Canada; and Dallas, Texas From the School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University; Centre des Grands Brûlés, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal-Hôtel Dieu; Department of Plastic Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; and Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal.
De Oliveira
Ana
A
Saint-Cyr
Michel
M
Garrel
Dominique R
DR
D000328:Adult; D002056:Burns / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*
D016207:Cytokines