Cell attachment, as a biological process, is an important aspect with respe
ct to graft survival and "take". With the ever-increasing use of cultured e
pithelial autografts for coverage and re-epithelialization of wounds, the a
ssessment of keratinocyte adhesion in vitro has become a more common requir
ement in studies involving extracellular matrix proteins and their receptor
molecules, Cell adhesion has been cell-documented in immunological researc
h, however keratinocyte adhesion has been investigated by manual counting (
using methylene blue) or other less sensitive colorimetric methods, With th
e increase in number of fluorogenic probes available, their use as a sensit
ive alternative to radioactive labelling has been promoted in the literatur
e. This study was carried out to investigate the possibility of using fluor
escent probe 5,6-carboxyfluorescein diacetate succidimyl ester to achieve a
more standardized assay in the assessment of keratinocyte adhesion. Adhesi
on was assessed on extracellular matrix proteins such as fibronectin, colla
gen types I & IV and laminin. We concluded that the fluorescent probe might
provide greater sensitivity in measuring adhesion, however it may be cytot
oxic to keratinocytes. Pre-labelling of keratinocytes may affect cellular f
unctions such as adhesion and even proliferation and consequently the probe
must be chosen with care.