[Expression of beta-endorphin in hypertrophic scar and its relationship with pruritus].
OBJECTIVE
To identify the effect of beta-endorphin in the development of paresthesia in hypertrophic scar by detecting the expression and content of beta-endorphin in human normal skin and hypertrophic scar.


METHODS
Hypertrophic scar samples were collected from 42 patients with hypertrophic scar for 1-20 years (mean, 4.5 years), including 15 males and 27 females with an average age of 32.6 years (range, 16-50 years). According to the kind of paresthesia, they were divided into 3 gourps: non-pain-pruritus group (n=20), pruritus group (n=14), and pain-pruritus group (n=8). Normal skin samples (normal skin group) were harvested from 5 patients undergoing skin grafting surgery, including 3 males and 2 females with an average age of 24.6 years (range, 15-37 years). The immunofluorescence method was used to observe the expression of beta-endorphin and ELISA method to detect the concentrations of beta-endorphin in the tissues.


RESULTS
The beta-endorphin expressed in all samples, and it expressed around peripheral nerve fibers in the dermis, fibroblasts, and monocytoid cells principally; and it expressed significantly stronger in pruritus group and pain-pruritus group than in non-pain-pruritus group and normal skin group. The beta-endorphin content was (617.401 +/- 97.518) pg/mL in non-pain-pruritus group, (739.543 +/- 94.149) pg/mL in pruritus group, (623.294 +/- 149.613) pg/mL in pain-pruritus group, and (319.734 +/- 85.301) pg/mL in normal skin group; it was significantly higher in non-pain-pruritus group, pruritus group, and pain-pruritus group than in normal skin group (P < 0.05); it was significantly higher in pruritus group than in non-pain-pruritus group and pain-pruritus group (P < 0.05); and there was no significant difference between non-pain-pruritus group and pain-pruritus group (P > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The expression of beta-endorphin is high in hypertrophic scar, it may play an important role in process of pruritus in these patients.
Graduate School of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou Guangdong, 510515, P.R.China.
Jiangting
J
Zhu
Biao
B
Cheng
Hongwei
H
Liu
Jianbing
J
Tang
Xiaofei
X
Xiang
Yan
Y
Peng
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017439:Cicatrix, Hypertrophic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011537:Pruritus / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult; D001615:beta-Endorphin / Q000378:metabolism*
D001615:beta-Endorphin