IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS FOR THE AGE ESTIMATION OF HUMAN SKIN WOUNDS

Authors
Citation
P. Betz, IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS FOR THE AGE ESTIMATION OF HUMAN SKIN WOUNDS, The American journal of forensic medicine and pathology, 16(3), 1995, pp. 203-209
Citations number
NO
Categorie Soggetti
Medicine, Legal",Pathology
ISSN journal
01957910
Volume
16
Issue
3
Year of publication
1995
Pages
203 - 209
Database
ISI
SICI code
0195-7910(1995)16:3<203:IPFTAE>2.0.ZU;2-M
Abstract
The immunohistochemical detection of stringlike ramifying structures p ositive for fibronectin in wounds aged at least a few minutes provides valuable information on the vitality of skin lesions even before the appearance of neutrophilic granulocytes. Positive reactions for tenasc in or collagen type III indicate postinfliction intervals of at least 2-3 days, whereas vital reactions for collagen type V or VI occur earl iest 3 days after wounding. Collagen type I appears as spotlike fibrob last-associated reaction products in injuries aged 4 days or more, whi le typical stringlike ramifying fibers indicate a postinfliction inter val of at least 5-6 days. Fibroblasts positively staining for laminin or heparan sulfate proteoglycan can be detected in wounds with a survi val time of similar to 1.5 days or more and collagen type-IV-positive cells occur earliest 4 days after wounding, followed by alpha-smooth m uscle actin expressing fibroblasts after 5 days or more. Basement memb rane fragments positive for laminin, heparan sulfate proteoglycan, or collagen type IV or VII indicate a wound age of at least 4 days, and a complete restitution of the epidermal basement membrane in (surgical) wounds can be observed earliest 8 days after wound infliction. Positi vely reacting basement membrane fragments are absent up to a wound age of <13 days, and the evidence of an incompletely rebuilt basement mem brane indicates a postinfliction interval of less than similar to 22 d ays. A continuous staining of the basal cells of the newly formed epid ermis for cytokeratin 5 occurs earliest 13 days after wounding, and th e absence of a complete staining provides information on a wound age o f <24 days.