QUANTITATION OF CYTOKINE LEVELS IN SKIN-GRAFT DONOR SITE WOUND FLUID

We quantified endogenous levels of multiple cytokines in skin graft do nor site wounds in patients with small to moderate-sixed burn injuries . Thirteen patients aged 11 months to 61 years with mean TBSA burn of 4 +/- 1 per cent underwent placement of occlusive wound dressings on p artial skin thickness donor site wounds. Fluid was aspirated from bene ath the dressing on postoperative day 1 and every subsequent 24 h unti l no further fluid could be obtained. Interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1) and t umour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) levels were determined by enzy me-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Epidermal growth factor (EGF), basic-fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and platelet-derived growth fac tor (PDGF) were measured by an enzyme immunoassay (ELA). We found subs tantial levels of EGF and TNF-alpha in the donor site wound fluid in a ll 13 patients, detectable levels of bFGF in five patients, and elevat ed levels of IL-1 in three patients. There were no detectable levels o f these cytokines in normal human serum. In contrast, there were no me asurable levels of PDGF in any patient's wound fluid, the mean level i n serum was 1.5 ng/ml +/- 0.2 s.em. Studies of cytokines in the normal wound healing environment may help in the design of future therapies to augment wound healing.