Summary
A total of 74 human skin wounds were investigated and collagen types I and VI were localized in the wound area by immunohistochemistry. Collagen type I appeared in the form of ramifying string-like structures after approximately 5–6 days, but positive reactions in the form of a spot-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 network associated with fibroblasts in the wound area. Both collagens appeared almost constantly after a wound age of 6–7 clays and could also be found in wounds aged a few months. Therefore, although a positive reaction for collagen type I in the form of string-like and ramifying structures 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 constant appearance of these collagen types suggests that negative results in a sufficient number of specimens indicate a wound age of less than 6–7 days, but cannot completely exclude longer post-infliction intervals. Since collagen type I and VI are also found in the granulation/scar tissue of lesions with advanced wound age, the immunohistochemical analysis of these proteins provides no further information for an age determination of older skin wounds.
Zusammenfassung
In 74 menschlichen Hautwunden wurden Kollagen I und VI immunhistochemisch dargestellt. Kollagen I erschien in Form strangförmiger, mitunter sich bereits verzweigender und mit Fibroblasten assoziierter Strukturen im Wundgebiet frühestens nach einer Überlebenszeit von 5–6 Tagen, positiv reagierende fleckförmige Reaktionsprodukte um einzelne Fibroblasten fanden sich bereits in einer 4 Tage überlebten Wunde. Kollagen VI war frühestens ab einem Wundalter von 3 Tagen feststellbar und beide Kollagen-Typen konnten ab einem Wundalter von 6–7 Tagen nahezu regelmäßig im Untersuchungsgut nachgewiesen werden. Positiv reagierende strangförmige Strukturen für Kollagen I bzw. Kollagen VI belegen somit ein Mindestalter von 5–6 bzw. 3 Tagen, herdförmige, Fibroblasten-assoziierte Reaktionen für Kollagen I können im Wundgebiet bereits ab 4 Tagen Überlebenszeit auftreten. Wegen des nahezu regelmäßigen Nachweises der beiden Kollagen-Typen ab einem Wundalter von 6–7 Tagen kann bei Fehlen einer positiven Reaktion in einer ausreichenden Zahl von untersuchten Präparaten auf eine Überlebenszeit von weniger als 6–7 Tagen geschlossen werden; da negative Befunde jedoch immer mit Zurückhaltung interpretiert werden sollten, kann eine solche aber nicht mit letzter Sicherheit bewiesen werden. Da Kollagen I wie auch VI ebenfalls im Granulations- bzw. Narbengewebe länger überlebter Verletzungen wenn auch in abnehmender Intensität nachweisbar sind, können durch die immunhistochemische Darstellung dieser Proteine keine zusätzlichen Aussagen zur Überlebenszeit von Hautwunden mit fortgeschrittenem Wundalter getroffen werden.
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Betz, P., Nerlich, A., Wilske, J. et al. Immunohistochemical localization of collagen types I and VI in human skin wounds. Int J Leg Med 106, 31–34 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01225021
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01225021