Krox20 Expression in Abnormal Scars: An Immunohistochemical Study
April 2022
in “
Journal of cosmetic dermatology
”
TLDR Krox20 overexpression in fibroblasts may play a role in abnormal scar formation and could be a target for new treatments.
The study "Krox20 expression in abnormal scars: An immunohistochemical study" involved 30 cases (10 cases of keloids, 10 cases of atrophic scars, and 10 cases with hypertrophic scars) and 10 healthy subjects as a control group. The researchers found that Krox20 was downregulated in the epidermis of scar biopsies compared with perilesional and normal skin (p = 0.02), but it was overexpressed in fibroblasts in lesional scar biopsies compared with perilesional and normal skin (p < 0.001). Keloid cases had significantly higher Krox20 expression in fibroblasts compared with hypertrophic scar cases (p < 0.001). The study concluded that Krox20 overexpression may play a role in scar pathogenesis through the upregulation of multiple genes associated with tissue remodeling and wound healing, suggesting potential for new therapies based on Krox20 inhibition.