Growth kinetics of fibroblasts from a patient with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

A 6-year-old girl with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (type I) who shows hyperelastic skin, hypermobile joints and delayed wound healing is reported. The growth kinetics of fibroblasts derived from her skin was examined using 3H-thymidine autoradiography. Our study showed that these fibroblasts had poor proliferative activity, compared with normal age-matched fibroblasts. Thus, we could suggest that the pathogenesis of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome was partially attributed to the lack of proliferative activity of the fibroblasts.