Work

Diminished Interleukin 6 (il-6) Production During Scarless Human Fetal Wound Repair

Year: 2000

Type: article

Abstract: Fetal wound healing is characterized by minimal inflammation and scarless repair. IL-6 stimulates inflammation in postnatal wound healing. We hypothesized that fetal skin has a diminished IL-6 response and that exogenous IL-6 will result in scar formation. Human adult or fetal skin was placed subcutaneously in SCID mice and incisionally wounded. Wounds were excised after 4, 12, 24 or 72 h for IL-6 mRNA quantification by RT-PCR. In other grafts, 5 microgram of IL-6 was injected at wounding and then harvested at 7 days for analysis of scar formation. IL-6 production was examined in primary cultures of human fetal or adult dermal fibroblasts incubated for 8 h with 0, 0.1, 1 or 10 ng/ml of PDGF-BB. IL-6 mRNA was detected 4 h after wounding in fetal and adult wounds, but by 12 h there was no IL-6 mRNA in the fetal wounds. Adult wounds had IL-6 mRNA persisting to 72 h. IL-6 administration to fetal wounds resulted in scar formation. Fetal fibroblasts produced less IL-6 protein and mRNA at all points examined (P<0.01 vs adult). Diminished production of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 may be responsible for the lack of inflammation seen during fetal wound healing. Diminished inflammation may provide a permissive environment for scarless wound healing.

Source: Cytokine

DOI: 10.1006/cyto.1999.0598

Authors: Kenneth W Liechty, N.Scott Adzick, Timothy M Crombleholme

Institutions: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania

Language: English

Topic: Wound Healing and Treatments

Subfield: Surgery

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,220