title: Stem cells, including a population of very small embryonic-like stem cells, are mobilized into peripheral blood in patients after skin burn injury.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Developmentally early cells, including hematopoietic stem progenitor cells (HSPCs), as well as very small embryonic-like stem cells (VSELs), are mobilized into peripheral blood (PB) in response to tissue and organ injury (e.g., heart infarct or stroke).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We seek to determine whether these cells are also mobilized into PB in patients with skin burn injuries.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-four (44) patients (33-57 years of age) with total body surface burn area of 30-60%, as well as 23 healthy control subjects, were recruited and PB samples were harvested during the first 24 hours, day +2, and day +5 after burn injury and compared to normal controls. The circulating human CD34(+)CD133(+) cells enriched for HSPCs, as well as small CXCR4(+)CD34(+)CD133(+) subsets of Lin(-)CD45(-) cells that correspond to the population of VSELs, were counted by FACS and evaluated by direct immunofluorescence staining for pluripotency markers (Oct-4, Nanog, and SSEA-4). In parallel, we also measured by ELISA the serum concentration of factors that regulate stem cell trafficking, such as SDF-1, VEGF, and HGF.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our data indicate that skin burn injury mobilizes cells expressing stem cell-associated markers, such as CD133, CD34, and CXCR4, into PB. More importantly, we found an increase in the number of circulating primitive, small Oct-4(+)Nanog(+)SSEA-4(+)CXCR4(+)lin(-)CD45(-) VSELs. All these changes were accompanied by increased serum concentrations of SDF-1 and VEGF.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Further studies are needed to fully assess the role of mobilized stem cells in the healing process to see if they can contribute to skin regeneration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Skin burn injury triggers the mobilization of HSPCs and CXCR4(+) VSELs, while the significance and precise role of mobilized VSELs in skin repair requires further study.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cell &Tissue Engineering, Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Cracow, Poland. justyna.drukala@uj.edu.pl
authors.forename: Justyna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Drukała
authors.forename: Edyta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Paczkowska
authors.forename: Magda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kucia
authors.forename: Elżbieta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Młyńska
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Krajewski
authors.forename: Bogusław
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Machaliński
authors.forename: Zbigniew
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Madeja
authors.forename: Mariusz Z
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Ratajczak
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D054377:Chemokine CXCL12 / Q000097:blood; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004817:Epidermis / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000097:blood; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000071317:Nanog Homeobox Protein; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4 / Q000378:metabolism; D013471:Sunburn / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D014161:Transduction, Genetic; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; C515255:CXCL12 protein, human; C527276:CXCR4 protein, human; D054377:Chemokine CXCL12; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; C486780:NANOG protein, human; D000071317:Nanog Homeobox Protein; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3; C494173:POU5F1 protein, human; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor