This Article  • Full text  • PDF  • Reply to article  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal

Matthew M. Hanasono, MD; Magdalena Kita, BS; Anthony A. Mikulec, MD; Devon Lonergan, BS; R. James Koch, MD, MS

Arch Facial Plast Surg. 2003;5:26-30.

Objective  To evaluate differences in fibroblast autocrine growth factor production by human fetal, keloid, and normal adult dermal fibroblasts.

Design  Serum-free cell lines of fetal, keloid, and normal adult dermal fibroblasts were established. Cell counts were performed and supernatants collected at 4, 24, and 72 hours. Cell-free supernatants were quantitatively assayed for transforming growth factor 1 (TGF-1) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF).

Results  Population doubling times for fetal, keloid, and normal adult fibroblasts were 120.0, 88.1, and 128.4 hours, respectively. Differences in population doubling times did not reach statistical significance. Statistically significant differences between TGF-1 levels from fetal and normal adult fibroblasts were seen at 24 and 72 hours. Significant differences between TGF-1 levels from keloid and normal adult fibroblasts were also seen at 24 and 72 hours. Fetal fibroblasts demonstrated higher levels of bFGF than normal adult fibroblasts at each time point, but these differences were not statistically significant. No significant differences were observed between keloid and normal adult bFGF levels.

Conclusions  Both fetal and keloid fibroblasts produce significantly more TGF-1 than normal adult fibroblasts. Our data and the data of others suggest that fetal fibroblasts produce more bFGF than adult fibroblasts. The serum-free model we describe can be used to quantitatively measure autocrine growth factor production by cells that underlie clinically different types of wound healing. This model provides information that may allow us to better treat and prevent undesirable scarring.

From the Wound Healing and Tissue Engineering Laboratory, Division of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, Calif.

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Modeling Aberrant Wound Healing Using Tissue-Engineered Skin Constructs and Multiphoton Microscopy
Torkian et al.
Arch Facial Plast Surg 2004;6:180-187.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT