Simultaneous detection of eight cytokines in human dermal wounds with a multiplex bead-based immunoassay for wound age estimation

We performed quantification of IL 2, IL 4, IL 6, IL 8, IL 10, GM-CSF, IFN γ, and TNF α in human dermal wounds for wound age estimation. The proliferation of dermal cells and infiltration of inflammatory cells were also analyzed. Neutrophils and macrophages were detected from 2 h post-injury, and strong infiltrations were seen at 33–49 h. T and B lymphocytes also infiltrated simultaneously from 71 h. Strong proliferation of fibroblasts were shown from 246 h, and thickening of the epidermis from 71 h. IL 10, GM-CSF, IFNγ, and TNF α increased from the early phase of dermal wound healing, IL 6 exclusively in the middle phase, IL 2, IL 4, and IL 8 from the middle phase to the late phase. Among the cytokines analyzed in the present study, IL 6, IL 8, IFNγ, and TNF α were strongly expressed. Results of the present study suggest that multiplex cytokine analysis at the wound site can be useful for wound age estimation. In addition, multiplex data obtained from the same sample with a single method would demonstrate more accurate interactions of cytokines during dermal wound healing. Although the present study was oriented to practical forensic pathology, the data obtained would be informative for various fields of medicine.