Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33796338›Full record

ArticleScars, burns & healing

Electrochemical treatment of ex vivo human abdominal skin and potential use in scar management: A pilot study.

Dana M Hutchison, Amir A Hakimi, Avin Wijayaweera, Soohong Seo, Ellen M Hong, Tiffany T Pham, Melissa Bircan, Ryan Sivoraphonh, Brandyn Dunn, Mark R Kobayashi and 2 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Scars, burns & healing. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
0.8field-weighted citation impact, top 25% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Dana M HutchisonBeckman Laser Institute & Medical Clinic, University of California - Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0668-0057
Amir A HakimiBeckman Laser Institute & Medical Clinic, University of California - Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5675-5758
Avin WijayaweeraBeckman Laser Institute & Medical Clinic, University of California - Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
Soohong SeoDepartment of Dermatology, Korea University Anam Hospital, Seoul, South Korea.
Ellen M HongBeckman Laser Institute & Medical Clinic, University of California - Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
Tiffany T PhamBeckman Laser Institute & Medical Clinic, University of California - Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
Melissa BircanBeckman Laser Institute & Medical Clinic, University of California - Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
Ryan SivoraphonhBeckman Laser Institute & Medical Clinic, University of California - Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
Brandyn DunnDepartment of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, University of California - Irvine, Orange, CA, USA.
Mark R KobayashiDepartment of Plastic Surgery, School of Medicine, University of California - Irvine, Orange, CA, USA.
Sehwan KimBeckman Laser Institute Korea, School of Medicine, Dankook University, Cheoan, Chungnam, Republic of Korea.
Brian Jf WongBeckman Laser Institute & Medical Clinic, University of California - Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6318-7384
University of California, Irvine · USDankook University · KRKorea University Medical Center · KR

Funding

Univ.of Calif., Irvine Cancer Center Support GrantP30CA062203 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE · PI Christine Hui · 1994 to 2026
$57.9M
Virtual Photonocs TechnologiesP41EB015890 · NIBIB · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE · PI VENUGOPALAN, VASAN · 2012 to 2017
$7.0M
NCI NIH HHS P30 CA062203NIBIB NIH HHS P41 EB015890
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionScar treatments aim to address pathologic collagen deposition; however, they can be expensive or difficult to control. Electrochemical therapy (ECT) offers a simple alternative treatment. The purpose of this study is to examine the acid-base and histological changes in ex vivo human abdominal skin following ECT.

methodsForty-two ex vivo human panniculus tissue sections collected from six individuals were tumesced with normal saline. ECT was performed by inserting two platinum needle electrodes connected to a DC power supply into each specimen. Voltage was varied (3-6 V) and applied for 5 minutes. Each specimen was sectioned across both electrode insertion sites and immediately stained with pH sensitive dye. The width of dye color change for each dosimetry pair was calculated. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was used to evaluate samples. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: ECT caused a spatially localised and dose-dependent increased area of acidic and basic pH around the anode and cathode, respectively. A significantly greater mean width of pH change was generated at the cathode compared to the anode in all treatment groups. Histological evaluation displayed broad condensation and hyalinisation of dermal collagen.

conclusionECT triggered dermal pH alterations and changed the underlying structural framework of the specimen. This technology may serve as a low-cost, minimally invasive local soft-tissue remodeling technique with potential application in scar management. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 5. LAY SUMMARY: Electrochemical therapy is a novel treatment that causes spatially selective dermal injury in areas of interest. This study measures the effects of electrochemical therapy when applied to abdominal skin. Electrochemical therapy appears to have beneficial effects by causing a highly localised reduction in collagen content or local softening of tissue, which is consistent with other studies on scar therapies, including chemexfoliation, radiofrequency technologies, and lasers. However, electrochemical therapy can be performed at a fraction of the costs of these aforementioned modalities.

Indexed as

collagenElectrochemical therapyin situ drug therapyskin

Identifiers

PMID33796338
PMCPMC7970177
OpenAlexW3137413259

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.