Xue-feng Li1, hui-Jun Wang, Hong Luo. 1. Department of Pathology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To explore the time-related expression of transforming growth factor (TGF)- beta(1) mRNA in the healing process of mouse skin wounds and its potential application in forensic wound age estimation. METHODS: Real-time PCR was used to quantify TGF-beta(1) mRNA expression in mouse skin wounds induced at different time points (15 min to 2 weeks before and 1 to 6 h after death). The expression of GAPDH was also detected for normalization of TGF-beta(1) mRNA level. RESULTS: TGF-beta(1) mRNA in the antemortem wounds was elevated significantly 24 h after the injury (P<0.01 by Dunnet test) and maintained the high level at 48 and 72 h. In postmortem wounds, TGF-beta(1) mRNA tended to increase 1 and 3 h after injury, and decreased to the control level at 6 h. CONCLUSIONS: The expression of TGF-beta(1) mRNA is closely related to the time of wound and can therefore be used as a representative cytokine marker for dating the skin wounds induced over 6 h before death. Real-time PCR for detecting dynamic expression of TGF-beta(1) mRNA in wound healing process provides a reliable means for qualitative and quantitative cytokine analysis for forensic wound age estimation.
OBJECTIVE: To explore the time-related expression of transforming growth factor (TGF)- beta(1) mRNA in the healing process of mouse skin wounds and its potential application in forensic wound age estimation. METHODS: Real-time PCR was used to quantify TGF-beta(1) mRNA expression in mouse skin wounds induced at different time points (15 min to 2 weeks before and 1 to 6 h after death). The expression of GAPDH was also detected for normalization of TGF-beta(1) mRNA level. RESULTS:TGF-beta(1) mRNA in the antemortem wounds was elevated significantly 24 h after the injury (P<0.01 by Dunnet test) and maintained the high level at 48 and 72 h. In postmortem wounds, TGF-beta(1) mRNA tended to increase 1 and 3 h after injury, and decreased to the control level at 6 h. CONCLUSIONS: The expression of TGF-beta(1) mRNA is closely related to the time of wound and can therefore be used as a representative cytokine marker for dating the skin wounds induced over 6 h before death. Real-time PCR for detecting dynamic expression of TGF-beta(1) mRNA in wound healing process provides a reliable means for qualitative and quantitative cytokine analysis for forensic wound age estimation.