Metabolism and proliferation of cultured fibroblasts from specimens of human palmar fascia and Dupuytren's contracture. The pathobiochemistry of connective tissue proliferation, II.

Cell Cultures from 11 Dupuytren's contracture and 6 normal palmar fascia specimens were established. The rates of sulphated glycosaminoglycan, collagen and DNA synthesis by means of incorporation of labelled precursors ([35S]sulphate, [3H]proline, [3]thymidine) as well as the growth characteristics of the cell lines of both healthy and diseased were compared. The incorporation rates of [35S]sulphate and [3H]proline were found to be significantly higher in Dupuytren than in healthy palmar fascia-deriving cell lines. In contrast, no differences in cell growth or DNA synthesis could be demonstrated. The abnormal capacity to synthesize sulphated glycosaminoglycans and collagen is attributed to a permanent modulation of cell characteristics which can be propagated into cell culture.