The relationship of tumor necrosis factor alpha levels and neutrophils with skin wound age caused by sharp trauma

Abstract

Background: Sharp force injuries are the second most common cause of trauma after blunt force injury. TNF-α is a cytokine that triggers the expression of adhesion molecules, other cytokines and chemokines by endothelial cells, stopped and migrated to damaged tissues or infections that trigger inflammation. Furthermore, the initial population of leukocytes leading to the wound comprises mostly neutrophils. This study aimed to assess the correlation between TNF-α levels in the blood and skin tissues and neutrophils number with the wound age of wounds caused by sharp trauma. Methods: This study is an experimental study using animal models. The samples were divided into the control group and the group in which the blood and the skin tissue samples were taken 1-, 3-, 12-, 24-, 48-and 72 hours after being sharp traumatized. The Elisa method examined the samples from the blood, and the skin of the right back of the mice was examined for TNF-α levels. Others from the left-back skin of the mice were microscopically examined to assess the number of neutrophils. Results: The TNF-α level from the skin samples were detected in wound tissue as the peak levels were in the 24 hours post-traumatic group. The TNF-α levels from blood samples indicated a significant difference in TNF-α levels in each group (p < 0.05). However, TNF-α levels from skin samples showed no significant difference between each group. From the microscopic examination, there was a significant difference in the infiltration of neutrophil cells in all groups (p<0,05). The neutrophils peak at 24 hours post-traumatic. Conclusion: There was no significant correlation between the TNF-α levels and the number of neutrophils with the wound age in wounds caused by sharp traumas.