Abstract: Objective To determine the expression of endothelin-1(ET-1) and basic fibroblast growth factor(bFGF) mRNA in keloid lesion. Methods Skin biopsies were obtained from patients with keloid, normal scar and healthy controls. The expression of ET-1 and bFGF mRNA was evaluated by in situ hybridization with Dig labelled cDNA probe. Results Dermal ET-1 and bFGF mRNA staining was more intensive in keloid lesion than that in scar and control tissue. Increased ET-1 staining was mainly observed in the superficial dermal vessels and dermal fibroblasts. ET-1 positive fibroblasts were found in 6 of 8 patients with keloid and diffusely distributed. Conclusion The overexpression of ET-1 and bFGF in keloid indicates that ET-1 and bFGF may play a role in the formation of keloid.

Key words: Keloid, Endothelin-1, Fibroblast growth factor,basic