| Objective: To explore the expression profiles of MMP-1, 2, 3, 7, 9, 14 and TIMP-1, 2, 3 in skins derived from fetus with different embryo gestational ages(EGAs) and hypertrophic scar with differential periods after wound in order to examine the hypothesis that these genes be involved in skin development and wound healing, as well as the possible mechanisms regulating fetal scarless healing and some mechanisms related to hypertrophic scar formation.Methods: Human fetal upper back skins from 13~33 weeks of gestation were obtained from fetuses spontaneously aborted. According to gestational ages, all fetal skins were divided into 3 classes: scarless (13~19 weeks), scarlike-forming (21~25 weeks), and scar-forming (27~33 weeks) periods of gestation. Each class was composed of 6 cases of specimens. Gestational age was determined by fetal foot length. 16 cases of hypertrophic scar samples were derived from patients under plastic operation. The periods of hypertrophic scars after wound were from 4 months to 11 years. The number of specimens with scar periods with 1 year was 8, while the number of samples with periods beyond 1 year was 8. Skin samples were placed in 10% neutral formalin for histologic and immunohistochemical examination. The remaining samples were immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen and placed at -80℃ for storage before isolation of RNA and protein. Then the detections of the changes of gene transcription and translation were used RT-PCR and Western blot technologies, respectively.Results: In early gestation, the gene expression of MMP-1, 2, 3, 7, 9 and 14 was weaker and the protein contents were less. Along with fetal development, the gene expression and protein contents were progressively increased. In late gestational skin, the contents of mRNA and protein of MMPs were significantly enhanced compared with those in early gestational skin (P<0.05). Furthermore, the changeable tendency of gene expression of TIMP-2 and TIMP-3 were similar to those of MMPs during...
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