Is sonic Hedgehog involved in human fracture healing? --a prospective study on local and systemic concentrations of SHH.

INTRODUCTION: Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) is a new signalling pathway in bone repair. Evidence exist that SHH pathway plays a significant role in vasculogenesis and limb development during embryogenesis. Some in vitro and animal studies has already proven its potential for bone regeneration. However, no da...

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Main Authors: Stefan Eipeldauer, Anita Thomas, Leonard Hoechtl-Lee, Mathias Kecht, Harald Binder, Julia Koettstorfer, Markus Gregori, Kambiz Sarahrudi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2014-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4263617?pdf=render
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author Stefan Eipeldauer
Anita Thomas
Leonard Hoechtl-Lee
Mathias Kecht
Harald Binder
Julia Koettstorfer
Markus Gregori
Kambiz Sarahrudi
author_facet Stefan Eipeldauer
Anita Thomas
Leonard Hoechtl-Lee
Mathias Kecht
Harald Binder
Julia Koettstorfer
Markus Gregori
Kambiz Sarahrudi
author_sort Stefan Eipeldauer
collection DOAJ
description INTRODUCTION: Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) is a new signalling pathway in bone repair. Evidence exist that SHH pathway plays a significant role in vasculogenesis and limb development during embryogenesis. Some in vitro and animal studies has already proven its potential for bone regeneration. However, no data on the role of SHH in the human fracture healing have been published so far. METHODS: Seventy-five patients with long bone fractures were included into the study and divided in 2 groups. First group contained 69 patients with normal fracture healing. Four patients with impaired fracture healing formed the second group. 34 volunteers donated blood samples as control. Serum samples were collected over a period of 1 year following a standardized time schedule. In addition, SHH levels were measured in fracture haematoma and serum of 16 patients with bone fractures. RESULTS: Fracture haematoma and patients serum both contained lower SHH concentrations compared to control serum. The comparison between the patients' serum SHH level and the control serum revealed lower levels for the patients at all measurement time points. Significantly lower concentrations were observed at weeks 1 and 2 after fracture. SHH levels were slightly decreased in patients with impaired fracture healing without statistical significance. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to report local and systemic concentration of SHH in human fracture healing and SHH serum levels in healthy adults. A significant reduction of the SHH levels during the inflammatory phase of fracture healing was found. SHH concentrations in fracture haematoma and serum were lower than the concentration in control serum for the rest of the healing period. Our findings indicate that there is no relevant involvement of SHH in human fracture healing. Fracture repair process seem to reduce the SHH level in human. Further studies are definitely needed to clarify the underlying mechanisms.
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spelling doaj.art-f0f422b78ef34f359df2e34b70a020022022-12-21T19:33:22ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032014-01-01912e11466810.1371/journal.pone.0114668Is sonic Hedgehog involved in human fracture healing? --a prospective study on local and systemic concentrations of SHH.Stefan EipeldauerAnita ThomasLeonard Hoechtl-LeeMathias KechtHarald BinderJulia KoettstorferMarkus GregoriKambiz SarahrudiINTRODUCTION: Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) is a new signalling pathway in bone repair. Evidence exist that SHH pathway plays a significant role in vasculogenesis and limb development during embryogenesis. Some in vitro and animal studies has already proven its potential for bone regeneration. However, no data on the role of SHH in the human fracture healing have been published so far. METHODS: Seventy-five patients with long bone fractures were included into the study and divided in 2 groups. First group contained 69 patients with normal fracture healing. Four patients with impaired fracture healing formed the second group. 34 volunteers donated blood samples as control. Serum samples were collected over a period of 1 year following a standardized time schedule. In addition, SHH levels were measured in fracture haematoma and serum of 16 patients with bone fractures. RESULTS: Fracture haematoma and patients serum both contained lower SHH concentrations compared to control serum. The comparison between the patients' serum SHH level and the control serum revealed lower levels for the patients at all measurement time points. Significantly lower concentrations were observed at weeks 1 and 2 after fracture. SHH levels were slightly decreased in patients with impaired fracture healing without statistical significance. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to report local and systemic concentration of SHH in human fracture healing and SHH serum levels in healthy adults. A significant reduction of the SHH levels during the inflammatory phase of fracture healing was found. SHH concentrations in fracture haematoma and serum were lower than the concentration in control serum for the rest of the healing period. Our findings indicate that there is no relevant involvement of SHH in human fracture healing. Fracture repair process seem to reduce the SHH level in human. Further studies are definitely needed to clarify the underlying mechanisms.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4263617?pdf=render
spellingShingle Stefan Eipeldauer
Anita Thomas
Leonard Hoechtl-Lee
Mathias Kecht
Harald Binder
Julia Koettstorfer
Markus Gregori
Kambiz Sarahrudi
Is sonic Hedgehog involved in human fracture healing? --a prospective study on local and systemic concentrations of SHH.
PLoS ONE
title Is sonic Hedgehog involved in human fracture healing? --a prospective study on local and systemic concentrations of SHH.
title_full Is sonic Hedgehog involved in human fracture healing? --a prospective study on local and systemic concentrations of SHH.
title_fullStr Is sonic Hedgehog involved in human fracture healing? --a prospective study on local and systemic concentrations of SHH.
title_full_unstemmed Is sonic Hedgehog involved in human fracture healing? --a prospective study on local and systemic concentrations of SHH.
title_short Is sonic Hedgehog involved in human fracture healing? --a prospective study on local and systemic concentrations of SHH.
title_sort is sonic hedgehog involved in human fracture healing a prospective study on local and systemic concentrations of shh
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4263617?pdf=render
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