A Study on the Proliferation and the Collagen Synthesis of the Fibroblasts Cultured from Normal Skin and Hypertrophic Scar

Kim, Su Young; Lee, Ho Gyun; Lee, Cheol Heon; Lee, Chong Ju

Abstract

BACKGROUND: As wound healing proceeds, fibroblasts proliferate by platelet derived growth factor(PDGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor(bFGF), while PDGF and transforming growth factorbeta (TGF-beta) play a major role in controlling the composition and amount of extracellular matrix synthesized by fibroblasts. This indicates that there will be a close relationship between scar formation and growth factors such as PDGF, TGF-beta and bFGF.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study is to know whether there are any differences between the fibroblasts derived from normal skin and the fibroblasts derived from hypertrophic scar in their responses to growth factors, which seems to be a clue to the cause of differences in scar formation.
METHODS
Fibroblasts cultured from normal skin and hypertrophic scar were compared according to different parameters such as rate of cell proliferation, and synthesis of collagen, and effects of PDGF, TGF-beta and bFGF on them. RESULT: The proliferative activity measured by MTT assay showed that the optical density of normal skin fibroblasts and hypertrophic scar fibroblasts were similar. However, the degree of responses to growth factors relative to the control groups was different in each fibroblasts. Normal skin fibroblasts showed more cell proliferation by PDGF and bFGF. In contrast, hypertrophic scar fibroblasts showed more cell proliferation by TGF-beta. But, there were no significant differences. The collagen synthesis by PDGF was lower than those of control in normal skin fibroblasts and hypertrophic scar fibroblasts. The collagen synthesis by bFGF was lower than that of control in hypertrophic scar fibroblasts and the percent collagen synthesis by bFGF were lower than those of control in normal skin fibroblasts and hypertrophic scar fibroblasts. Whereas the collagen synthesis and the percent collagen synthesis by TGF-beta were higher than those of control in normal skin fibroblasts and hypertrophic scar fibroblasts. Especially, in the hypertrophic scar fibroblasts, the collagen synthesis and the percent collagen synthesis by TGF-beta were significantly higher than those by control and other growth factors.
CONCLUSION
There were differences in characteristics, growth rates and collagen synthesis by PDGF, bFGF, TGF-beta among cultured fibroblasts from normal skin and hypertrophic scar. Therefore, the response of fibroblasts to TGF-beta may have a significant role in the formation of hypertrophic scar. And there is the difference of responsiveness between fibroblasts. In this viewpoint, the difference of responsiveness of fibroblasts plays an important role the formation of hypertrophic scar.