Genetic contribution to scar outcome (337.3)

Abstract

Wound healing and scar remodeling are part of the normal tissue repair process occurring after injuries and surgical procedures. No two individuals heal equally, and it is well known that wound healing outcomes vary widely in apparently healthy individuals, suggesting that genetic factors contribute to tissue repair. We took advantage of facial images of cleft scars to develop a novel digital imaging analysis method that provides reproducible, sensitive and unbiased assessments of post‐surgical scarring. It is based on the principle that in every individual, the scar outcome is linked, amongst other factors, to the difference between the color of the scar and the color of the unaffected skin. This method detected a very significant difference in all three colors, and for all patients, between the scarred and the contralateral unaffected upper lip (P ranging from 1.20‐05 to 1.95‐14). Using this model, we identified genetic variants in TGFB3 and ARHGAP29 associated with suboptimal healing outcome. We believe that identification of genetic risk factors for poor wound healing and ultimately genetic testing could provide an important first tool to detect individuals at risk for poor outcome.