title: Protomyofibroblast Pathway in Early Thermal Burn Healing.
abstract: Wound healing following partial thickness thermal burns is commonly hampered by the risk of hypertrophic scarring. Skin myofibroblast (MF) density is commonly increased in postburn healing. The transition between fibroblast-like cells and α-smooth muscle actin (SMA)+ MF possibly begins with CD14+ monocytes, evolving to CD14+ CD34+ fibrocytes, followed by β-SMA+ protomyofibroblast (PMF) maturation. Skin biopsies from 25 burn patients were collected about 1 and 4 weeks after injury. Immunohistochemistry was performed using monoclonal antibodies to α-SMA, β-SMA, factor XIIIa, lysozyme, Mac 387, CD14, CD117 and Ulex europaeus agglutinin-1 (UEA-1). The set of Mac 387+ and CD14+ monocytes was accompanied by both CD34+ fibrocytes and factor XIIIa+ dendrocytes. By contrast, β-SMA+ PMF were rare. Of note, α-SMA+ MF were more abundant at week 4 than at week 1 (p < 0.01). The UEA-1+ endothelial cells showed marked variations in their dermal distribution, irrespective of the densities in the other scrutinized cells. In conclusion, healing of partial thickness thermal burns involves a diversity of cell types including PMF. In the present samples, the PMF density remained low. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatopathology, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Trinh
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hermanns-Lê
authors.forename: Gérald E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Piérard
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jennes
authors.forename: Claudine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Piérard-Franchimont
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D002056:Burns / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058628:Myofibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism*; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C541116:ACTA2 protein, human; D000199:Actins; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors