Pathophysiology of Chronic Wounds

This study will compare blood from healthy volunteers and with wound fluid and tissue samples from patients with acute and chronic wounds enrolled in other NIH studies. Chronic wounds, such as venous leg ulcers, pressure sores, ischemic ulcers and diabetic foot ulcers, affect more than 4 million Americans each year and cost about $9 billion to treat. The nature of these wounds is not well understood and treatments are not always successful, for unknown reasons. Blood collected from healthy volunteers will be used to prepare a model for studying various processes involved in wound healing. Normal healthy volunteers 21 years of age and older who do not smoke and have no medical problems of the heart, bones, muscles, stomach, lungs, blood, or nervous system, do not have problems going to the bathroom, and have no infections may be eligible for this study. Participants will be interviewed briefly for information on their date of birth, gender, ethnic identity and medical history and will have a brief physical examination, including a check of height and weight, vital signs and heart and lung sounds. About 14 milliliters (2 tablespoons) of blood will be drawn from the arm.