Non-invasive detection of local tissue responses to predict pressure ulcer development in mouse models

The development of pressure ulcers is associated with four different pathways: ischemia, ischemia-reperfusion injury, impaired interstitial fluid flow and lymphatic drainage, and cell deformation. For prediction of pressure ulcer development, it is important to detect the tissue response involved in the pathways at the molecular level. However, non-invasive techniques for detecting this tissue response are not available. This study aimed to demonstrate that the secretion of the candidate marker proteins in pressure-loaded mouse skin can be detected by skin blotting, and to propose a novel direct skin assessment method for predicting pressure ulcer development. We created three different tissue damage models: early stage pressure ulcers, blanchable erythema and intact skin. We confirmed the pathways involved in the pressure ulcer development by histological analyses in the pressure ulcer model. Interleukin-1α (IL-1α), vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C) and heat shock protein 90α (HSP90α) were expressed in the pressure ulcer model at a significantly different level compared to the blanchable erythema or intact skin during the time course. Detecting the secretion of these novel biomarkers by skin blotting can be a useful method for non-invasive prediction of pressure ulcer development.