The presence of c-reactive protein (CRP) isoforms during murine wound healing

Native C reactive protein (nCRP) is a pentameric oligoprotein composed of 5 identical protomers. Levels of this acute phase protein increase up to 1000 fold with the onset of inflammation; dissociation into single subunits creates a new isoform known as modified/monomeric CRP (mCRP). To date there has been no investigation of the presence and role of CRP in cutaneous wound healing. Our work presents a temporal and spatial profile for the presence of both CRP isoforms from 6 different time points post-wounding spanning 3 major phases of the wound healing process. Wax embedded murine (BALB/c) wound samples were sectioned and stained by immunohistochemistry with monoclonal antibodies(mCRP; 8C10 and nCRP; 2C10) specific to each isoform. CRP-positive cells were quantified by microscopy and expressed as a ratio of the total cell count to allow comparison between samples. During the acute wound healing process significant differences between expression of each isoform were found at day 3 post-wounding (D3) in inflammatory cells (p=