title: Donor site wound protein synthesis correlates with length of acute hospitalization in severely burned children.
abstract: Autografting of burn wounds results in generation of donor site wounds. Here we measured donor site wound protein fractional synthesis rate (FSR) in a burn pediatric population and showed that FSR increases over time postsurgery and correlates with the length of hospital stay (LOS) normalized for total body surface area (TBSA) burn size. 3.9 +/- 1.1 days after the grafting surgery patients participated in a metabolic study consisting of continuous infusion of l-[ring-(2)H(5)]-phenylalanine and donor site wound punch biopsies. Donor site wound protein FSR was 10.4 +/- 7.5%/day. Wound FSR demonstrated linear correlation with the time postsurgery (p<0.05). Multiple regression analysis showed that LOS/TBSA correlated with donor site wound protein FSR and time postsurgery (p<0.001) and the following equation describes the relationship: estimated LOS/TBSA=(FSR-12.95-1.414 x postsurgery day)/(-17.8). This equation predicted that FSR corrected for the postsurgery day when the metabolic study was conducted accounted for 67% of the variability (r(2)=0.673) in the LOS/TBSA. Donor site wound protein FSR correlated to LOS/TBSA of burn patients admitted to the intensive care unit. Measurement of protein deposition in regenerating donor site wound using stable isotope technique provides a quantitative measure of wound healing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77550-1220, USA.
authors.forename: Demidmaa
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tuvdendorj
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Chinkes
authors.forename: Xiao-Jun
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Asle
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aarsland
authors.forename: David N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Herndon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002056:Burns / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D010649:Phenylalanine / Q000378:metabolism; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011849:Radioactive Tracers; D012038:Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D012879:Skin Physiological Phenomena; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins; D011849:Radioactive Tracers; D010649:Phenylalanine