title: Decreased tissue and serum expression of galectin-7 in patients with hypertrophic scars.
abstract: Hypertrophic scars (HS) result from an imbalance between collagen biosynthesis and matrix degradation during wound healing. In this study a proteomics approach was used to compare the protein profiles of skin tissue obtained from patients with HS and healthy controls. One of the epidermal proteins, galectin-7 was markedly down-regulated in HS. Serum levels of galectin-7 in 27 patients with HS were less than 1/3 of those in 15 healthy controls. Tissue protein expression was subsequently evaluated using immunohistochemical staining on HS tissue and on serially-obtained control tissue during wound healing. Weaker galectin-7 immunoreactivity was detected along the cytoplasmic membrane of basal and suprabasal cells in samples from HS. In addition, galectin-7 was stained in the extracellular space of the upper papillary dermis in HS tissue. Ablative laser treatment, used to induce wound healing of healthy control tissue, demonstrated marked galectin-7 expression at the cytoplasmic membrane on days 3, 5, 14 and 21. Pronounced galectin-7 staining at the upper papillary dermis was detected on days 1, 3 and 10. These results suggest that the differences in galectin-7 expression and subcellular and extracellular distribution may be crucially involved in the pathogenic process of HS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine 250 Seongsanno, Seodaemoon-gu, Seoul, 120-752, Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Bin
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Jun-Sub
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Zhenlong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Min Ju
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Ihn Geun
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Hong Shik
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Keun Jae
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Ahn
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001798:Blood Proteins; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D017439:Cicatrix, Hypertrophic / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D015536:Down-Regulation; D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; D005260:Female; D037502:Galectin 3 / Q000097:blood*; D037161:Galectins; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D040901:Proteomics / Q000379:methods; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors; D014945:Wound Healing; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001798:Blood Proteins; D037502:Galectin 3; D037161:Galectins; C428445:LGALS3 protein, human