Prolyl hydroxylase activity in human normal skins and post-burn scars

Post-burn granulation tissues showed an extraordinary high prolyl hydroxylase (EC 1.14.11.2; proline, 2-oxoglutarate dioxygenase) activity, 25 to 50 times higher than the mean value of human normal skins from the frontal thighs of 15 subjects, 385 +/- 247 (S.D.) cpm/min/g of wet weight tissue. The activity in the scars decreased sharply within 4 to 5 months, and then gradually decreased to the normal range after 2 years or so. Well-aged scars tended to show lower values than the mean value of normal skins.