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Updated: Dec 16, 2025
Severe Burn Injury in a Swine Model for Clinical Dressing Assessment
Published on: November 6, 2018
C1 Inhibitor Administration Reduces Local Inflammation and Capillary Leakage, Without Affecting Long-term Wound
Halil Ibrahim Korkmaz1, Magda M W Ulrich1, Wessel N Van Wieringen2
1Department of Pathology, Amsterdam UMC, Location VUmc, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Background:
Burns induce a boost in local and systemic complement levels as well as immune cell infiltration in the burn wound, which may negatively affect wound healing.
Objective:
In this study, the effects of long-term treatment with complement inhibitor C1 esterase inhibitor (C1inh) on post-burn inflammation and wound healing parameters were analyzed in time up to 60 days post-burn.
Methods:
Burned pigs were treated either with or without C1inh up to 15 days post-burn. Burn wound biopsies and blood were collected at different time points up to 60 days post-burn. Thereafter, complement in blood as well as complement and immune cells in the wound, capillary leakage, necrosis, reepithelialization and wound contraction were quantified.
Results:
No significant differences in complement C3 blood levels were observed at any time point between C1inh-treated and control pigs. In the wound, complement C4 levels were significantly lower in the C1inh group than in controls at day 3-6 and 21-30 post-burn. Similarly, C3 levels, neutrophil and macrophage infiltration in the wound were, although not statistically significant, reduced in C1inh-treated pigs at day 9-14 post-burn. No differences in lymphocyte infiltration in the wound were found between C1inh and control pigs. C1inh-treated pigs also showed reduced capillary leakage. Despite these effects, no significant differences in the long-term wound healing parameters necrosis, reepithelialization and wound contraction were observed between C1inh and control pigs.
Conclusion:
In pigs, 15 days of C1inh treatment after burn, leads to a reduction in local inflammation and capillary leakage in the burn wound without affecting long-term wound healing parameters.
