Affiliation:
1. Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, University “G. d’Annunzio”, 66100 Chieti, Italy
2. Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine and Dentistry, University “G. d’Annunzio”, 66100 Chieti, Italy
3. Pediatrics Clinic and Institute for Molecular Medicine A. Novivelli, Department of Clinical and Expermental Sciences, University of Brescia and ASST-Spedali Civili of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
4. Department of Dermatology, Spedali Civili of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
Abstract
Venous leg ulcers are one of the most common nonhealing conditions and represent an important clinical problem. The application of pulsed radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (PRF-EMFs), already applied for pain, inflammation, and new tissue formation, can represent a promising approach for venous leg ulcer amelioration. This study aims to evaluate the effect of PRF-EMF exposure on the inflammatory, antioxidant, cell proliferation, and wound healing characteristics of human primary dermal fibroblasts collected from venous leg ulcer patients. The cells’ proliferative and migratory abilities were evaluated by means of a BrdU assay and scratch assay, respectively. The inflammatory response was investigated through TNFα, TGFβ, COX2, IL6, and IL1β gene expression analysis and PGE2 and IL1β production, while the antioxidant activity was tested by measuring GSH, GSSG, tGSH, and GR levels. This study emphasizes the ability of PRF-EMFs to modulate the TGFβ, COX2, IL6, IL1β, and TNFα gene expression in exposed ulcers. Moreover, it confirms the improvement of the proliferative index and wound healing ability presented by PRF-EMFs. In conclusion, exposure to PRF-EMFs can represent a strategy to help tissue repair, regulating mediators involved in the wound healing process.
Reference48 articles.
1. Prevalence of venous leg ulcer: The importance of the data collection method;Phlebolymphology,2008
2. Mohamady, H.M., Taha, M.M., Aneis, Y.M., Aldhahi, M.I., and Attalla, A.F. (2023). Effect of Combined Electromagnetic Field and Plantar Flexion Resistance Exercise on Wound Healing in Patients with Venous Leg Ulcers: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Medicina, 59.
3. Updates on Recent Clinical Assessment of Commercial Chronic Wound Care Products;Sharma;Adv. Healthc. Mater.,2023
4. Impact of venous ulcers on patients’ quality of life: An integrative review;Joaquim;Rev. Bras. Enferm.,2018
5. Gualdi, G., Costantini, E., Reale, M., and Amerio, P. (2021). Wound Repair and Extremely Low Frequency-Electromagnetic Field: Insight from In Vitro Study and Potential Clinical Application. Int. J. Mol. Sci., 22.