title: Examination of Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition in Keloid Tissues and Possibility of Keloid Therapy Target.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Keloid is a fibroproliferative skin disorder that is characterized by collagen accumulation and blood vessel proliferation in the reticular layer of the dermis. It is caused by prolonged inflammation after cutaneous injury. Several studies suggested recently that epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) is involved in the development of fibrosis. This study assessed whether EMT also participates in keloid development and/or aggravation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Resected keloid (n = 19) and normal skin (n = 13) samples were subjected to immunohistochemical, immunofluorescent, and Western blot analyses of their expression of epidermal (E-cadherin) and mesenchymal (vimentin) proteins.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Immunohistochemical analysis showed that the keloid tissues had more vimentin-positive cells in the epidermis than the normal tissues. When normal primary keratinocytes were cultured with proinflammatory cytokines, the cobblestone-shaped cells changed to a spindle shape and many vimentin-positive cells were detected. When immortalized HaCaT keratinocytes were cocultured in split-well plates with normal or keloid-derived fibroblasts, they also underwent EMT, as indicated by their greater vimentin expression on Western blot analysis compared with HaCaT cells that were cultured alone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EMT was observed in keloid specimens. EMT was induced by inflammatory cytokines and fibroblasts. EMT may be involved in keloid generation and/or aggravation and may have potential as a keloid treatment target.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Nippon Medical School Hospital, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Molecular Pathology, Nippon Medical School, Graduate School of Medicine, Institute of Gerontology, Kanagawa, Japan; and Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Nippon Medical School, Musashi Kosugi Hospital, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kuwahara
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Nippon Medical School Hospital, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Molecular Pathology, Nippon Medical School, Graduate School of Medicine, Institute of Gerontology, Kanagawa, Japan; and Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Nippon Medical School, Musashi Kosugi Hospital, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Mamiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tosa
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Nippon Medical School Hospital, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Molecular Pathology, Nippon Medical School, Graduate School of Medicine, Institute of Gerontology, Kanagawa, Japan; and Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Nippon Medical School, Musashi Kosugi Hospital, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Seiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Egawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Nippon Medical School Hospital, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Molecular Pathology, Nippon Medical School, Graduate School of Medicine, Institute of Gerontology, Kanagawa, Japan; and Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Nippon Medical School, Musashi Kosugi Hospital, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Nippon Medical School Hospital, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Molecular Pathology, Nippon Medical School, Graduate School of Medicine, Institute of Gerontology, Kanagawa, Japan; and Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Nippon Medical School, Musashi Kosugi Hospital, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Ghazizadeh
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mohammad
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Nippon Medical School Hospital, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Molecular Pathology, Nippon Medical School, Graduate School of Medicine, Institute of Gerontology, Kanagawa, Japan; and Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Nippon Medical School, Musashi Kosugi Hospital, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Rei
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ogawa