Human glabrous skin autografts partially reinnervated without sensory corpuscles. An immunohistochemical study

The reinnervation of human glabrous skin autografts was investigated in biopsy specimens obtained four weeks to 15 months after transplantation. The grafted skin was taken from the volar aspect of the wrist and transplanted to the fingers. Immunohistochemical methods were used to detect the presence of nerve fibres and sensory corpuscles, using monoclonal antibodies against neurofilament proteins and S-100 protein. In normal skin, immunoreactivity of neurofilament proteins was localised in the axons of nerves and sensory corpuscles, while S-100 protein immunoreactivity was found in Schwann cells, lamelar cells and inner core cells of sensory corpuscles. In the transplanted skin, there was no positive immunoreactivity in the youngest grafts (four weeks), but in eight week old grafts immunoreactivity to both proteins, identified as axons or Schwann cells, respectively, were seen in the deep nerve plexus, and these reached subepithelial dermis in the 15 month old grafts. In no case, however, were immunoreactive structures found that resembled reinnervated or regenerated sensory nerve corpuscles. Clinical assessment of sensibility was consistent with morphological findings. These results suggest that reinnervation of human skin autografts is far from normal, and that sensory corpuscles are not able to regenerate in grafted human glabrous skin, at least during the times studied.