Growth factor expression is enhanced and extracellular matrix proteins are depressed in healing skin wounds in septic patients compared with healthy controls

Background

Sepsis manifests as a dysregulated immune response to infection, damaging organs. Skin has a critical role in protecting the body. In sepsis, skin wound healing is impaired. The mechanisms behind it have been poorly studied.

Patients and methods

In this study, suction blister wounds were induced on intact abdominal skin in 15 septic patients. A single blister wound was biopsed from each patient and from 10 healthy controls. Immunohistochemical staining of growth factors and extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins was performed. Significance (P<0.05) of the differences was calculated.

Results

The following growth factors were overexpressed in the skin of septic patients compared with healthy controls: epithelial growth factor (intact epithelium P=0.007, migrating epithelium P=0.038), vascular epithelial growth factor (intact epithelium P<0.001, migrating epithelium P=0.011) and transforming growth factor beta (migrating epithelium P=0.002). The expression of syndecan-1 was upregulated in the skin of septic patients compared with healthy controls (intact epithelium P=0.048, migrating epithelium P=0.028). The following ECM proteins had lower expression in the epithelium in septic patients than in healthy controls: tenascin-C (migrating epithelium P=0.03) and laminin-332 (intact epithelium P=0.036).

Interpretation

In sepsis, growth factor and syndecan expression was enhanced, while ECM and basement membrane proteins were mostly depressed.

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