A Pilot Study to Explore a Correlation between Inflammatory Markers and the Wound Healing Rate in Diabetic Patients

• Published in: Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Lithuania), 2022-03, Vol.58 (3), p.390
• Main Authors: Song, Yukwan, Jo, Yongkyu, Sohn, Jeongeun, Kim, Robert
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biomarkers; Blood; Blood Sedimentation; Collagen; Diabetes; Diabetes Mellitus; Growth factors; Humans; inflammation; Laboratories; Patients; Pilot Projects; Proteins; Skin; Statistical analysis; Wound Healing; wounds and injuries
• ISSN: 1648-9144; 1010-660X; 1648-9144
• DOI: 10.3390/medicina58030390

Background and objectives: We examined whether there is a significant correlation between inflammatory markers and the wound healing rate (WHR) in diabetic patients. Materials and Methods: A total of 60 patients were divided into two groups depending on the completion of wound healing (WH) at 5 weeks: the early WH group (period of WH < 5 weeks; n = 27) and the late WH group (period of WH > 5 weeks; n = 33). The baseline characteristics and wound measurements were compared between the two groups. To identify the correlation between inflammatory markers (e.g., white blood cell counts (WBCs), serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)) and WHR, we performed a Pearson correlation analysis. Results: The WHR was 8.06 ± 4.02 mm2/day in the early WH group and 2.71 ± 0.88 mm2/day in the late group. This difference reached statistical significance (p < 0.001). Moreover, WBC counts were significantly higher and serum levels of CRP and ESR were significantly lower in the early WH group than in the late group (p = 0.027, 0.036 and 0.043, respectively). Conclusions: Our results indicate that WBC as well as serum CRP and ESR levels have a significant correlation with WHR in diabetic patients.