Immunohistochemical localization of collagen types I and VI in human skin wounds

• Published in: International journal of legal medicine 1993, Vol.106 (1), p.31-34
• Main Authors: Betz, P, Nerlich, A, Wilske, J, Tübel, J, Penning, R, Eisenmenger, W
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Cicatrix - pathology; Collagen - analysis; Female; Granulation Tissue - pathology; Humans; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Male; Middle Aged; Postmortem Changes; Skin - injuries; Skin - pathology; Wound Healing - physiology
• ISSN: 0937-9827; 1437-1596
• DOI: 10.1007/bf01225021

A total of 74 human skin wounds were investigated and collagen types I and VI were localized in the wound area by immunohistochemistry. Collagen type I appeared in the form of ramifying string-like structures after approximately 5-6 days, but positive reactions in the form of a spot-like staining around isolated fibroblasts also occurred in a skin wound aged 4 days. Collagen VI was detectable after a post-infliction interval of at least 3 days showing a strongly positive reacting network associated with fibroblasts in the wound area. Both collagens appeared almost constantly after a wound age of 6-7 days and could also be found in wounds aged a few months. Therefore, although a positive reaction for collagen type I in the form of string-like and ramifying structures around wound fibroblasts indicates a wound age of at least 5-6 days, a spot-like positive staining for collagen type I cannot exclude a wound age of at least 4 days. A positive staining for collagen type VI represents a post-infliction time of 3 days or more. The almost constant appearance of these collagen types suggests that negative results in a sufficient number of specimens indicate a wound age of less than 6-7 days, but cannot completely exclude longer post-infliction intervals. Since collagen type I and VI are also found in the granulation/scar tissue of lesions with advanced wound age, the immunohistochemical analysis of these proteins provides no further information for an age determination of older skin wounds.