IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL LOCALIZATION OF COLLAGEN TYPE-I AND TYPE-VI IN HUMAN SKIN WOUNDS

A total of 74 human skin wounds were investigated and collagen types I and VI were localized in the wound area by immunohistochemistry. Coll agen type I appeared in the form of ramifying string-like structures a fter approximately 5-6 days, but positive reactions in the form of a s pot-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 netwo rk associated with fibroblasts in the wound area. Both collagens appea red 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 reac tion for collagen type I in the form of string-like and ramifying stru ctures 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 co nstant appearance of these collagen types suggests that negative resul ts in a sufficient number of specimens indicate a wound age of less th an 6-7 days, but cannot completely exclude longer post-infliction inte rvals. Since collagen type I and VI are also found in the granulation/ scar tissue of lesions with advanced wound age, the immunohistochemica l analysis of these proteins provides no further information for an ag e determination of older skin wounds.