Selective release of cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors by minced skin in vitro supports the effectiveness of autologous minced micrografts technique for chronic ulcer repair

A new effective surgical procedure to repair chronic ulcers called minced micrografts technique has been recently reported. The technique consists in spreading a finely minced skin sample upon the wound bed. In this study, we investigate the in vitro release of cytokines (interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1α, and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor), chemokines (monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and growth-related oncogene-α), and growth factors (platelet-derived growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor, hepatocyte growth factor, and nerve growth factor) by minced (referred to as the minced sample) vs. not minced (referred to as the whole sample) human skin biopsy samples from the same donor. Factor release in the culture medium at different time points was detected using a multiplexed protein assay. The minced sample, which could behave like the skin fragments used in vivo in the autologous minced micrografts technique, expressed higher levels of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1α, platelet-derived growth factor, and basic fibroblast growth factor, and lower levels of interleukin-6, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, growth related oncogene-α, and vascular endothelial growth factor compared with the whole sample. In conclusion, mincing of healthy skin may allow appropriate regulation of the inflammatory phase of wound healing and could induce overexpression of some growth factors, which facilitates the proliferative phase of healing.