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Updated: Jul 16, 2026

Evaluation of Keratinocyte Proliferation on Two- and Three-dimensional Type I Collagen Substrates
Published on: April 22, 2019
Effects of various growth factors and histamine on cultured keloid fibroblasts
K Kikuchi1, T Kadono, K Takehara
1Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Japan.
Objective And Methods:
We investigated the effects of several growth factors on [3H]thymidine incorporation and procollagen type I carboxyterminal propeptide (P1CP) production, which reflects type I collagen metabolism, in keloid and normal fibroblasts.
Results:
Six fibroblast cell strains, derived from keloid or normal skin, exhibited similar growth responses to platelet-derived growth factor, transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta 1), gamma-interferon (gamma-IFN) and histamine. In contrast, keloid fibroblasts showed significantly greater growth response to epidermal growth factor (EGF) than normal fibroblasts. P1CP production was 4.4 times higher in 6 strains of keloid fibroblasts than in 6 controls. Treatment with gamma-IFN (100 U/ml) decreased P1CP production in both groups; the effect was significantly greater in keloid fibroblasts. TGF-beta 1 treatment upregulated P1CP production in both groups. Treatment with histamine increased P1CP production in keloid fibroblasts, although it did not change that in the controls.
Conclusion:
EGF and histamine may play some role in the development of keloids.
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