Keratinocyte growth factor, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1 beta gene expression in cultured fibroblasts and keratinocytes from burned patients.

PURPOSE To evaluate the gene expression of KGF, TNF-alpha and IL-1 beta in skin fibroblasts and keratinocytes cultured from burned patients. METHODS Three patients with large burns and three patients with small burns, as well as two controls, were included. The cell culture was initiated by the enzymatic method. After extraction and purification of mRNA, qPCR was used to assess the gene expression of KGF, TNF-alpha and IL-1 beta. RESULTS The expression of KGF was increased on average 220-fold in large burns and 33.33-fold in small burns in fibroblasts, and 11.2-fold in large burns and 3.45-fold in small burns in keratinocytes compared to healthy patients (p<0.05). Expression of TNF-alpha was not observed. IL-1 beta is down-regulated in fibroblasts of burned patients, and much more repressed in small burns (687-fold, p<0.05). In keratinocytes, the repression of IL-1 beta expression occurs in patients with small burns (28-fold), while patients with large burns express this gene intensively (15-fold). CONCLUSIONS The study showed a quantitative pattern in the expression of KGF gene, which is more expressed according to the size of the burn. TNF-alpha was not expressed. A qualitative pattern in the expression of IL-1 beta gene was demonstrated.