title: [Expression of secretions of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis in human hypertrophic scar].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the expression and significance of secretions of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in human hypertrophic scar.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hypertrophic scar tissues obtained from 12 patients with deep-partial thickness burn or full-thickness burn and normal skin tissues from the same 7 patients with hypertrophic scar were harvested for determination of gene expression of corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH), CRH receptor 1 (CRH-R1), pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), melanocortin receptor 2 (MC-2R), and glucocorticoid receptor α (GR-α) by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. After addition of corresponding antibodies, distribution differences of CRH, CRH-R1, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ATCH), MC-2R, and GR-α were observed with immunohistochemical staining. Data were processed with t test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mRNA expression of CRH, CRH-R1, POMC, and GR-α in hypertrophic scar was respectively 3.1 ± 0.8, 0.05 ± 0.03, 0.020 ± 0.007, and 0.0030 ± 0.0010, which were significantly lower than those in normal skin (20.6 ± 4.7, 0.30 ± 0.12, 0.060 ± 0.020, and 0.0200 ± 0.0070, with t values from 2.10 to 4.75, P values all below 0.05). There was no statistical difference in MC-2R mRNA expression between hypertrophic scar and normal skin (t = 1.48, P = 0.15). Immunohistochemical observation showed CRH, CRH-R1, ACTH, MC-2R, and GR-α in hypertrophic scar were located in basal layer of epidermis, fibroblast of dermis, and tube wall of sweat gland. Expressions of these indexes could also be observed in sebaceous gland and hair follicle besides above-mentioned structures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Decreasing expression of active material of HPA axis may be related to formation of hypertrophic scar.
authors.affiliation: Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery, Ji'nan University Medical School, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Si-jun
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: You-fu
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Li-bing
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Gao-wei
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Du
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D017439:Cicatrix, Hypertrophic / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone