Glucose toxic effects on granulation tissue productive cells: the diabetics' impaired healing.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a metabolic noncommunicable disease with an expanding pandemic magnitude. Diabetes predisposes to lower extremities ulceration and impairs the healing process leading to wound chronification. Diabetes also dismantles innate immunity favoring wound infection. Amputation is therefore acknowledged as one of the disease's complications. Hyperglycemia is the proximal detonator of systemic and local toxic effectors including proinflammation, acute-phase proteins elevation, and spillover of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. Insulin axis deficiency weakens wounds' anabolism and predisposes to inflammation. The systemic accumulation of advanced glycation end-products irreversibly impairs the entire physiology from cells-to-organs. These factors in concert hamper fibroblasts and endothelial cells proliferation, migration, homing, secretion, and organization of a productive granulation tissue. Diabetic wound bed may turn chronically inflammed, procatabolic, and an additional source of circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines, establishing a self-perpetuating loop. Diabetic fibroblasts and endothelial cells may bear mitochondrial damages becoming prone to apoptosis, which impairs granulation tissue cellularity and perfusion. Endothelial progenitor cells recruitment and tubulogenesis are also impaired. Failure of wound reepithelialization remains a clinical challenge while it appears to be biologically multifactorial. Ulcer prevention by primary care surveillance, education, and attention programs is of outmost importance to reduce worldwide amputation figures.

Intralesional administration of epidermal growth factor-based formulation (Heberprot-P) in chronic diabetic foot ulcer: treatment up to complete wound closure.

Previous studies have shown that an epidermal growth factor-based formulation (Heberprot-P) can enhance granulation of high-grade diabetic foot ulcers (DFU). The aim of this study was to explore the clinical effects of this administration up to complete wound closure. A pilot study in 20 diabetic patients with full-thickness lower extremity ulcers of more than 4 weeks of evolution was performed. Mean ulcer size was 16.3 +/- 21.3 cm(2). Intralesional injections of 75 microg of Heberprot-P three times per week were given up to complete wound healing. Full granulation response was achieved in all 20 patients in 23.6 +/- 3.8 days. Complete wound closure was obtained in 17 (85%) cases in 44.3 +/- 8.9 days. Amputation was not necessary in any case and only one relapse was notified. The most frequent adverse events were tremors, chills, pain and odour at site of administration and local infection. The therapeutic scheme of intralesional Heberprot-P administration up to complete closure can be safe and suitable to improve the therapeutic goal in terms of healing of chronic DFU.