Summary
A total of 56 surgically treated human skin wounds with a wound age between 8h and 7 months were investigated. Tenascin was visualized by immunohistochemistry and appeared first in the wound area pericellularly around fibroblastic cells approximately 2 days after wounding. A network-like interstitial positive staining pattern was first detectable in 3-day-old skin wounds. In all wounds with an age of 5 days or more, intensive reactivity for tenascin could be observed in the lesional area (dermal-epidermal junction, wound edge, areas of bleeding). In wounds with an age of more than approximately 1.5 months no positive staining occurred in the scar tissue. In conclusion, for forensic purposes, positive staining for tenascin restricted to the pericellular area of fibroblastic cells indicates a wound age of at least 2 days. Network-like structures appear after approximately 3 days or more. Since tenascin seems to be regularly detectable in skin wounds older than 5 days, the lack of a positive reaction in a sufficient number of specimens indicates a wound age of less than 5 days. The lack of a positive reaction in the granulation tissue of wounds with advanced wound age indicates a survival time of more than about 1.5 months, but a positive staining in older wounds cannot be excluded.
Zusammenfassung
In 56 chirurgisch versorgten menschlichen Hautwunden mit einem Wundalter zwischen 8 Stunden und 7 Monaten wurde Tenascin immunhistochemisch dargestellt. Erstmals war Tenascin in einer 2 Tage alten Wunde perizellulär um Fibroblasten nachweisbar. Netzwerk-artige, positiv reagierende Strukturen traten im Wundgebiet frühestens nach einer Überlebenszeit von 3 Tagen auf und waren in Hautwunden, die älter als 4 Tage waren, regelmäßig anzutreffen. Mit zunehmendem Wundalter war eine Abnahme der Reaktivität für Tenascin im Granulationsgewebe feststellbar und in den ältesten untersuchten Hautwunden (Wundalter 2,5 bzw. 7 Monate) war kein Tenascin mehr außerhalb des üblicherweise anfärbbaren Strukturen zu beobachten. Der perizelluläre Nachweis von Tenascin belegt somit ein Wundalter von mindestens ca. 2 Tagen, netzwerkartige, positiv anfärbbare Strukturen im Wundgebiet ein Wundalter von mindestens ca. 3 Tagen. Die regelmäßige Nachweisbarkeit von Tenascin ab einem Wundalter von ca. 5 Tagen gibt bei einer ausreichenden Anzahl von untersuchten Präparaten und Fehlen einer entsprechenden Reaktion Hinweise auf eine Überlebenszeit von unter 5 Tagen. Mit zunehmendem Wundalter sinkt die Reaktivität des Granulationsgewebes für Tenascin und eine positive Reaktion deutet auf eine Überlebenszeit bis ca. 1,5 Monate hin, eine längere Nachweisbarkeit kann jedoch nicht ausgeschlossen werden.
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Betz, P., Nerlich, A., Tübel, J. et al. Localization of tenascin in human skin wounds —An immunohistochemical study. Int J Leg Med 105, 325–328 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01222116
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01222116