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04:58
Collecting And Measuring Wound Exudate Biochemical Mediators In Surgical Wounds
Published on: October 20, 2012
Inflammatory biomarkers in combat wound healing
Jason S Hawksworth1, Alexander Stojadinovic, Frederick A Gage
1Department of Regenerative Medicine, Combat Casualty Care, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA.
Annals of Surgery
|December 3, 2009
Summary
Combat extremity wounds often fail to heal due to inflammatory dysregulation. Biomarkers in serum and wound fluid can predict healing outcomes for these complex injuries.
Area of Science:
- Trauma Surgery
- Wound Healing Research
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- Modern warfare causes severe extremity injuries affecting soft tissue, bone, and neurovascular structures.
- Current methods for determining optimal timing of war wound closure are subjective.
- The mechanisms behind acute wound healing failure are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the molecular profiles associated with war wound healing and failure.
- To identify potential biomarkers for predicting combat wound healing outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study of 33 male patients with 52 penetrating extremity wounds.
- Analysis of serum, wound effluent, and tissue biopsies for cytokine/chemokine expression.
- Correlation of molecular data with wound healing outcomes over 30 days post-closure.
Main Results:
- 17% of wounds (9/52) dehisced; vascular injury, wound size, and injury severity score correlated with dehiscence.
- Cytokine and chemokine profiles in serum and effluent were linked to healing outcomes.
- Increased tissue inflammation and identified biomarkers predicted wound healing.
Conclusions:
- Inflammatory dysregulation is associated with war wound failure.
- A panel of molecular biomarkers may predict combat wound healing.
- Further prospective validation of these biomarkers is warranted.
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