Abstract
Rapid wound closure in extensively burned patients has remained one of the major unresolved issues of medicine. Integra(R) is the most widely established artificial skin, which is composed of a porous matrix of cross-linked bovine collagen and chondroitin 6-sulphate covered by a semi-permeable silicone layer.
We present here a (immuno)histological study of a severely burned patient with a full-thickness burn treated with a tissue-engineered dermal template (Integra(R)) and split-thickness skin graft-based protocol. Immunohistochemical investigation of the artificial dermis revealed that immune cell infiltration reached its peak on day 10.
Tissue immunophenotyping found an increase in CD3+ cells over the course of the study as well as CD4 and CD8 positivity on day 40, indicating remaining T-cell subpopulations. We observed weak/no infiltration of NK cells (CD56+).
In conclusion, the use of bi-layer Integra(R) represents a feasible and safe procedure resulting in formation of non-irritating dermal substitutes.