Objective  To investigate the effect of vaccum-assisted closure (VAC) on the expression of C-ski and Smad3 in the human wound margin tissue and to explore their significance in triggering the wound healing.   Methods  Fourteen patients

9 males and 5 females with chronic wound admitted in our department from April 2007 to April 2009 were enrolled into the study after signed an informed consent

and the full-thickness skin defects were collected before treatment

and 1

4 or 7 d after treatment. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was carried out to detect the expressions of C-ski and Smad3

and RT-PCR was used to determine their mRNA expressions of C-ski and Smad3.   Results  IHC results showed that there existed little C-ski in the wound margin tissue before treatment

and after treatment

it were gradually increased. Compared with before treatment group

the differences in 4 and 7 d after treatment were markedly significant (P0.05). Conversely

there expressed more Smad3 in the wound margin tissue before treatment

and the difference between before treatment group and 1 d after treatment were statistically significant (P0.05). Compared with above groups

the differences in 4 and 7 d after treatment groups were markedly significant (P0.05). RT-PCR results suggested the same tendency with the IHC results. Also

the results showed there was a negative correlation between C-ski and Smad3 (r=－0.873

P0.01).   Conclusion  VAC accelerates the course of wound healing through improving the expression of C-ski and inhibiting the expression of Smad3.