Dexamethasone-induced healing of chronic leg ulcers in a patient with defective organization of the extracellular matrix of fibronectin
Authors: De Panfilis, G.1; Ghidini, A.1; Graifemberghi, S.1; Barlati, S.2; Zoppi, N.2; Colombi, M.2
Source: British Journal of Dermatology, Volume 142, Number 1, January 2000 , pp. 166-170(5)
Publisher: Blackwell Publishing
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Abstract:
Previous investigations have shown that skin fibroblasts derived from patients affected by Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) lack an organized extracellular matrix (ECM) of fibronectin (FN). As retarded wound healing is a sign of EDS, we hypothesized that a young healthy man suffering from chronic recalcitrant leg ulcers might be affected by a defect of FN-ECM organization similar to that observed in EDS. Immunofluorescence of cultured skin fibroblasts obtained from skin biopsies from the patient and a control demonstrated that the patient's fibroblasts lacked FN-ECM organization, in contrast with those of the control; this was restored by 10−7 mol/L dexamethasone (DEX) in vitro. DEX treatment of the patient was associated with healing of his leg ulcers. In conclusion, DEX may be effective in reversing impaired wound healing associated with a lack of FN-ECM organizationKeywords: fibronectin; leg ulcers; wound healing
Document Type: Research article
DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2133.2000.03262.x
Affiliations: 1: Department of Dermatology, Spedali Civili di Brescia, Azienda Spedali Civili, p.le Spedali Civili, 1 I-25125 Brescia, Italy 2: Division of Biology and Genetics, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Biotechnology, Brescia University, Brescia, Italy
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