RESTORATION OF BASEMENT-MEMBRANE STRUCTURE IN PIGS FOLLOWING KERATINOCYTE AUTOGRAFTING

The attachment of grafts of keratinocyte sheets is mediated in part by the presence and organisation of basement membrane components. The re appearance of basement membrane following keratinocyte autografting wa s examined in pigs. These studies showed that there was rapid expressi on of anchoring fibrils and hemidesmosomes, which reached normal numbe rs at 10 days. However, the length of hemidesmosomes did not reach nor mal size during the period of study. Weakness of attachment of keratin ocyte autografted epidermis was found to lie between the basement memb rane and the granulation tissue. This suggests that reported clinical problems with keratinocyte graft attachment may be mediated not only b y delay in maturation of the basement membrane but also by its poor in tegration with collagen of the wound bed.