Analysis of p53 Gene Mutations in Keloids Using Polymerase Chain Reaction–Based Single-Strand Conformational Polymorphism and DNA Sequencing

Abstract
THE FORMATION of keloid scars after skin trauma is a significant clinical problem particularly in the black population, in which the incidence of keloids has been estimated at 4% to 16%.1 Keloids are locally aggressive, and in contrast to hypertrophic scars, they invade healthy tissue. They often recur after multimodal therapy and can actively persist for many years. Keloids begin to develop following events involved in the repair of healthy tissue. Somehow, this normal repair sequence becomes dysregulated, and the evolving scar remains in the proliferative phase of healing.2 Keloid fibroblasts demonstrate both the reduced requirements of growth factors in vitro and the hyporesponsiveness to mediators that are inhibitory to normal fibroblasts.3 Despite these abnormal growth characteristics, the mechanisms of keloidogenesis are unknown.