Ultrastructural study of grafted autologous cultured human epithelium.

An electron microscopical study of grafted autologous cultured human epithelium is presented. Biopsy samples were collected from four patients with full thickness burns at 9 days, 6 weeks and 5-21 months after grafting of the cultured epithelium. By the sixth week after transplantation, grafted cultured epithelial sheets had developed to consist of 10 to 20 layers of cells and the epithelium showed distinct basal, spinous, granular and horny layers, and a patchy basement membrane had formed. Langerhans cells and melanocytes were identifiable. From 5 months onwards flat basal cells became oval, and oval keratohyalin granules in the keratinocytes also assumed a normal irregular shape. Membrane-coating granules in the keratinocytes increased in number. The fine structures of desmosomes also showed a normal mature appearance. Furthermore, complete extension of the basement membrane could be observed. The maturation of cultured human epithelium is complete by 5 months after grafting.