Abstract

AIM To investigate the role of mast cells in surgical and pathological scar reactions by their identification and quantification using immunohistochemistry.

METHODS Surgical scars and pathological scar reactions were stained immunohistochemically for tryptase to identify mast cells. These were quantified in the scar tissue and surrounding dermis. Statistical analyses were performed to test the hypothesis that mast cell numbers were different in the varying types of scar reaction.

RESULTS A significant difference was found between the mean number of mast cells in periocular scars compared with keloids, hypertrophic scars, and surgical scars from other sites (p<0.05). No significant difference was found in mast cell numbers between the other scar types either within the lesions or surrounding dermis. There were significantly more mast cells in the dermis than in the scar tissue itself, except for the small group of periocular scars. The ratio of mast cells in the lesion compared with the dermis was not significantly different between the scar types, except for the periocular scars.

CONCLUSIONS Mast cell numbers are similar in and around keloid, hypertrophic, and surgical scars. The increased number of mast cells at periocular scar sites was contrary to expectation since keloids are rare at this site. Absolute mast cell numbers may not be an accurate measure of tissue concentrations of active mast cell products. Further comparisons between immunological characteristics of keloid and periocular scars may elucidate specific immunological abnormalities of keloid scars, and this has implications for the development of immunotherapy.