title: Histologic characterization of acellular dermal matrices in a porcine model of tissue expander breast reconstruction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acellular dermal matrices (ADMs) have been commonly used in expander-based breast reconstruction to provide inferolateral prosthesis coverage. Although the clinical performance of these biologic scaffold materials varies depending on a number of factors, an in-depth systematic characterization of the host response is yet to be performed. The present study evaluates the biochemical composition and structure of two ADMs, AlloDerm(®) Regenerative Tissue Matrix and AlloMax™ Surgical Graft, and provides a comprehensive spatiotemporal characterization in a porcine model of tissue expander breast reconstruction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Each ADM was characterized with regard to thickness, permeability, donor nucleic acid content, (residual double-stranded DNA [dsDNA]), and growth factors (basic fibroblast growth factor [bFGF], vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF], and transforming growth factor-beta 1 [TGF-β1]). Cytocompatibility was evaluated by in vitro cell culture on the ADMs. The host response was evaluated at 4 and 12 weeks at various locations within the ADMs using established metrics of the inflammatory and tissue remodeling response: cell infiltration, multinucleate giant cell formation, extent of ADM remodeling, and neovascularization.
  
  
  RESULTS
  AlloMax incorporated more readily with surrounding host tissue as measured by earlier and greater cell infiltration, fewer foreign body giant cells, and faster remodeling of ADM. These findings correlated with the in vitro composition and cytocompatibility analysis, which showed AlloMax to more readily support in vitro cell growth.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AlloMax and AlloDerm demonstrated distinct remodeling characteristics in a porcine model of tissue expander breast reconstruction.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Christopher A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Carruthers
authors.forename: Christopher L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Dearth
authors.forename: Janet E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Reing
authors.forename: Caroline R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.forename: Darcy H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Gagne
authors.forename: Peter M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Crapo
authors.forename: Onelio
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Badhwar
authors.forename: Jeffrey R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: Stephen F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Badylak
mesh_terms: D062088:Acellular Dermis; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D015726:Giant Cells / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D016462:Mammaplasty / Q000379:methods*; D008321:Mammary Glands, Animal / Q000601:surgery*; D008422:Materials Testing; D051379:Mice; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D034421:Sus scrofa; D015625:Tissue Expansion Devices