title: Regulation of Transforming Growth Factor β1, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor, and Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor by Silicone Gel Sheeting in Early-Stage Scarring.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hypertrophic scars and keloids are associated with abnormal levels of growth factors. Silicone gel sheets are effective in treating and preventing hypertrophic scars and keloids. There has been no report on the change in growth factors in the scar tissue following the use of silicone gel sheeting for scar prevention. A prospective controlled trial was performed to evaluate whether growth factors are altered by the application of a silicone gel sheet on a fresh surgical scar.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four of seven enrolled patients completed the study. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) were investigated immunohistochemically in biopsies taken from five scars at 4 months following surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In both the epidermis and the dermis, the expression of TGF-β1 (P=0.042 and P=0.042) and PDGF (P=0.043 and P=0.042) was significantly lower in the case of silicone gel sheet-treated scars than in the case of untreated scars. The expression of bFGF in the dermis was significantly higher in the case of silicone gel sheet-treated scars than in the case of untreated scars (P=0.042), but in the epidermis, the expression of bFGF showed no significant difference between the groups (P=0.655).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The levels of TGF-β1, PDGF, and bFGF are altered by the silicone gel sheet treatment, which might be one of the mechanisms of action in scar prevention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Keimyung University School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Jaehoon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Samsung Changwon Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Changwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Eun Hee
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Samsung Changwon Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Changwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Woo
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Institute of Ischemic and Hypoxic disease, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hak
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chang
keywords: Cicatrix; Cytokines; Silicone gels