[Comparison of biological characteristics and quantity of epidermal stem cells from hypertrophic scar skin and normal skin of human beings].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the biological characteristics of epidermal stem cells (ESCs) from hypertrophic scar and normal skin. METHODS: Epidermal stem cells were separated, enriched and adhered from 20 hypertrophic scars (scar group) and 20 normal skins (control group). The morphology and growth characteristics of primary epidermal stem cells were observed. The absorbance (A) values of expression of Keratin 19, nucleoprotein p63 and integrin ß1 were tested by Western blot. And the genes of Oct-4 and Nanog were tested by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Flow cytometry was used to examine the markers of integrin CD29, integrin CD49f and Keratin 19 of ESCs. RESULTS: The primary cultured cells showed the similar shape and growth curve. By comparing the epidermal stem cells from scar groups and control groups, the absorbance values of the expression of Keratin 19, nucleoprotein p63 and integrin ß1 were 860 ± 4, 712 ± 3, 422 ± 6 and 862 ± 3, 707 ± 9, 413 ± 6 (all P > 0.05). The expression values of Oct-4, Nanog were (7.79 ± 0.44)×10(-4), (5.96 ± 0.36)×10(-4) and (7.93 ± 0.29)×10(-4), (6.06 ± 0.35)×10(-4) (all P > 0.05). Percentages of positive cells expressing CD29, CD49f and Keratin 19 were (97.3 ± 0.7)%, (94.6 ± 1.1)%, (92.5 ± 0.8)% and (98.8 ± 4.6)%, (98.9 ± 0.4)%, (94.4 ± 0.7)% respectively (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The ESCs in hypertrophic scar have the same characteristics with ESCs in normal skin. However, the ESCs from hypertrophic scar are lower than that from normal skin.