The concentration of C-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen in blood serum in the course of mandibular fracture healing (preliminary report).

One of the basic measures of quality of repairing processes of soft tissue and bone injury is collagen synthesis. C-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PICP) is admitted index of type I collagen biosynthesis. The aim of the study was estimation of PICP concentrations in the course of fracture repair process in relation to the treatment method. The material of investigations was blood serum of 25 men (age 20-30 years) with fracture of mandible. The patients were divided into 2 groups depending on the method of treatment: I group was patients treated non-surgical method (n = 12); II group--surgical method (n = 13). Blood samples in the first group were taken on 2nd, 14th, 42nd, 90th day of healing process and additionally on 2nd and 14th day after surgery--in the second group. The PICP concentrations in blood serum were determined by RIA method. Statistical analysis of results shown significant increase of PICP concentrations in I group of patients in 14th (167.1 +/- 42.8 micrograms/L) and in 42nd (216.0 +/- 59.1 micrograms/L) day of healing process in comparison to the values in the second day after injury--the first study (124.3 +/- 41.8 micrograms/L). In the II group of patients the statistically significant increase of PICP concentration in 14th day after surgical procedure (156.9 +/- 30.5 micrograms/L), 42nd (163.1 +/- 35.3 micrograms/L) and in 90th (153.1 +/- 40.2 micrograms/L) day of healing process after injury in comparison to the values in the second day after injury--the first study (119.9 +/- 35.8 micrograms/L). The results indicate, that a normal course of mandibular fracture healing influences the change in PICP concentrations in serum in examined men. A different dynamics of PICP concentrations, observed in the serum in patients with mandibular fractures treated surgically and non-surgically, suggests various mechanisms of bone tissue reconstruction connected with the method of treatment.