INCREASED MIGRATION OF HUMAN FETAL KERATINOCYTES OCCURS WITHOUT ACCOMPANYING CHANGES IN ATTACHMENT OR INTEGRIN EXPRESSION

Cutaneous wound healing in the fetus differs significantly from that i n the adult. The migration of keratinocytes across the wound bed is an early and critical event in re-epithelialization. Human fetal keratin ocytes harvested and cultured from scalp, sole, and trunk were compare d with adult keratinocytes with respect to migration, attachment, and integrin expression. Fetal keratinocytes migrated more extensively bot h in the absence of matrix as well as on matrices of fibronectin and l aminin as compared with adult keratinocytes. Fetal keratinocytes from scalp demonstrated particularly enhanced migration in these contexts a s compared with fetal keratinocytes from sole or trunk. Fetal keratino cytes from all three sites did not differ with respect to either attac hment or integrin receptor profile as compared either with each other or with adult keratinocytes. The enhanced migration of fetal keratinoc ytes may in part be responsible for the increased rate of re-epithelia lization observed with fetal wounds. Furthermore, certain sites may co ntain subpopulations of cells more predisposed to effective re-epithel ialization and thus wound healing.