CHARACTERISTICS OF IBA-1-IMMUNOPOSITIVE CELLS IN SKIN WOUNDS HEALING

BACKGROUND: IBA-1 (Ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1) is a selective marker for determining the cellular differentiation of glial macrophages. The body's macrophage system includes various organ-specific macrophages, including dermal macrophages. Currently, there are no studies that provide information on the identification of connective tissue macrophages using an immunohistochemical reaction for the detection of IBA-1 protein during skin regeneration after injury. AIM: to identify and characterize IBA-1-immunopositive connective tissue cells in normal skin and in the perinecrotic area of a wound following mechanical injury. METHODS: the objects of the study were skin fragments from male Wistar rats, taken from the middle third of the thigh at different stages of healing after a deep incised wound. Animals were divided into 9 groups: Group 1—intact animals (control group, n=5); the remaining groups corresponded to the time of withdrawal from the experiment (5 animals per group): 12 hours, 24 hours, 2 days, 3 days, 6 days, 10 days, 15 days, and 25 days after mechanical injury. Skin biopsies were used for immunohistochemical reactions with antibodies to the IBA-1 protein, followed by morphometric and statistical analysis of the obtained data. RESULTS: IBA-1-immunopositive cells, identified as macrophages, were detected at the wound healing and control stages. They differed from each other in structure and morphometric characteristics. These cells were divided into 3 groups based on body size: small, medium, and large. The highest number of IBA-1-immunopositive cells, compared with the control, was detected 2, 6, and 15 days after injury. At different stages of regeneration, the population dynamics of small, medium, and large macrophages were revealed. CONCLUSION: immunohistochemical reaction with antibodies to the IBA-1 protein is a reliable method for detecting dermal macrophages. Its use allows for the localization, heteromorphism, and heterochrony of cells in the perinecrotic wound area to be clarified, and the morphological characteristics of the macrophage differentiation to be characterized.