Collagen fiber orientation as quantified by small angle light scattering in wounds treated with transforming growth factor-beta(2) and its neutalizing antibody

The purpose of this study was determine quantitative differences in collage n fiber orientation in a wound healing model in the presence of transformin g growth factor-beta(2) and anti-transforming growth factor-beta(2,3) antib ody. Full-thickness wounds were made in the paravertebral area of two young pigs. Wounds were treated once, topically, with either transforming growth factor-beta(2) or anti-transforming growth factor-beta(2) antibody, or wit h methylcellulose gel. Control wounds were left untreated, Tissue biopsies were obtained from each wound on days 7, 14 and 46 post wounding. Tissue se ctions were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and collagen fiber preferre d orientation was quantified using small angle light scattering. Our result s indicated that wounds treated with transforming growth factor-beta(2) and anti-transforming growth factor-beta(2,3) antibody had a significantly hig her degree of orientation of collagen fibers than normal unwounded skin on days 7, 14 and 46 (p < 0.001), Transforming growth factor-beta(2-) treated wounds had a higher degree of orientation of collagen fibers than control w ounds on days 7 and 14 (p < 0.001), and control wounds displayed a higher d egree of orientation than wounds treated with anti-transforming growth fact or-beta(2,3) and normal unwounded skin at all time points (p < 0.001). Thes e results suggest that differences in the dermal collagen degree of orienta tion correlate with scarring, and show that small angle light scattering ca n be used quantitatively to assess differences in the collagen fiber archit ecture of dermal wounds.