Exposure of fibroblasts derived from keloid patients to low-energy electromagnetic fields: Preferential inhibition of cell proliferation, collagen synthesis, and transforming growth factor beta expression in keloid fibroblasts in vitro

We studied the effects of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) on cell proliferation and collagen synthesis in both normal and keloid fibroblasts in vitro. Treatment of keloid fibroblasts with 60-Hz EMFs for 10 days resulted in the inhibition of cell proliferation, whereas no significant change in cell proliferation of normal fibroblasts was observed. EMFs inhibited collagen synthesis in keloid fibroblasts but not in normal fibroblasts without altering the ratio of type III to type I collagen, indicating that EMFs inhibit type I and type III collagen synthesis to the same extent. EMFs also decreased the expression of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) in keloid fibroblasts. These results suggest that EMFs may have a useful therapeutic potential for the treatment of keloid.