BACKGROUND:The construction of tissue engineered skin needs a long time and high price, and the repair effects are poor. Moreover, the problems such as antigen elimination and disease propagation are not thoroughly solved. How to solve the tough problem of wound surface repair in patients lacking of autologous skin using current mature technology before the occurrence of ideal tissue engineered skin.
OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effects of autologous composite skin constructed around expanders on the repair of the wound surface.
METHODS:A total of 10 rabbits were selected. Two globular silica gel expanders were embedded subcutaneously in the symmetrical sites on the back of rabbits. After the expanders were covered by fiber kystis, cellsuspension of primary cultured skin epithelial cells (experimental group) or physiological saline (control group) were infused into lacuna between the expander. Four weeks later, the expanders were obtained. Experimental group presented epithelization, i.e., autologous composite skin. The skin and some fiber members on the top of the expanders were resected around the encystations. The fiber kystis on the bottom and surrounding the expanders was left to form the wound surface covered by autologous composite skin. However, the wound surface was covered by non-epithelization fiber kystis in the control group. The healing of wound surface was observed until recovered.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:In the experimental group, the wound surface was ruddy and pure, with less secretion;the average healing time was (14.0±0.4) days;the microscopic appearance indicated that epithelial layer was thick and regular. In the control group, there was more secretion on wound surface;the average healing time was (27.0±0.7) days;the microscopic appearance indicated that epithelial layer was thin and irregular. These results suggested that the construction of autologous composite skin around the expanders could noticeably promote the healing of wound surface.

Objective To evaluate the short-term curative effect and the safety of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) therapy by using microspheres and lipiodol for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods A total of 87 patients with pathologically proved HCC were randomly divided into the study group (n=44,using embospheres of 100-300 μm in diameter together with lipiodol) and the control group (n=43,using gelfoam particles of 350-560 μm in diameter together with lipiodol).Postopertaive biochemical (liver function and AFP) findings and imaging (CT and/or MRI) manifestations were recorded,and the clinical efficacy and adverse reactions were analyzed.Results TACE was performed in all 87 patients.After the treatment,both the disease benefit rate and the postoperative reduction in AFP level in the study group were remarkably better than those in the control group (P＜0.05),but postoperative liver function indexes were not significantly different from the preoperative ones (P＞0.05).The average number of interventional therapy within the follow-up period of 6 months in the study group was smaller than that in the control group (P＜0.05).No statistically significant differences in 6-,12-and 18-month survival rates existed between the two groups (P＞0.05).Conclusion In treating HCC,TACE by combination use of microspheres and lipiodol is safe,its short-term curative effect is more obvious than TACE by combination use of gelfoam particles and lipiodol,and it can reduce the times of interventional procedure.Before TACE,careful planning of the pre-treatment of hepatic artery-portal vein fistula and the superselective catheterization with micro catheter should be taken into consideration.