Osteopontin expression in healing wounds of horses and in human keloids

Reasons for performing study: Convincing evidence shows that persistent or excessive expression of osteopontin (OPN) is linked to fibroproliferation of various organs in laboratory animals and in man, such that its downregulation is a logical therapeutic objective.

Objectives: To investigate OPN expression in an equine model of wound healing and in clinical specimens of equine exuberant granulation tissue and human keloids in an effort to better understand the contribution of this protein to inflammation-associated skin fibrosis.

Study design: Description of gene and protein expression in an experimental equine model of wound healing and clinical specimens in horse and man.

Methods: Osteopontin gene expression was evaluated by quantitative PCR, while protein expression was investigated by means of immunohistochemical staining.

Results: Quantitative PCR showed that the OPN gene is expressed in normal intact skin of horses and continues to be expressed during the wound-healing process. An increase in gene expression was observed throughout the phases of wound healing, with a final decrease at wound closure. The protein was not detected in normal skin. Keratinocytes in wound-edge samples did not express the protein, whereas dermal immunoreactivity was confined to inflammatory cells. Healed wounds were devoid of staining. Equine exuberant granulation tissue showed immunoreactivity of the surrounding epidermis, infiltrating neutrophils, mononuclear cells, endothelial cells and fibroblasts. Human keloids showed OPN immunoreactivity throughout the epidermis as well as in mononuclear cells and scattered fibroblasts.

Conclusions: Immunohistochemical data show a different pattern of expression between normally healing and fibrotic wounds (exuberant granulation tissue and keloids), thus suggesting a role in fibroproliferation in horses and man.