551 Bali Medical Journal 2022; 11(1): 551-555 | doi: 10.15562/bmj.v11i1.3250 ORIGINAL ARTICLE ABSTRACT The relationship of tumor necrosis factor alpha levels and neutrophils with skin wound age caused by sharp trauma M. Husni Cangara, 1,2* Indah Wulan Sari, 1,3 Berti Julian Nelwan, 1,2 Cahyono Kaelan, 1,2 Gunawan Arsyadi 1,2 Background: Sharp force injuries are the second most common cause of trauma after blunt force injury. TNF- α is a cytokine that triggers the expression of adhesion molecules, other cytokines and chemokines by endothelial cells, stopped and migrated to damaged tissues or infections that trigger infammation. Furthermore, the initial population of leukocytes leading to the wound comprises mostly neutrophils. This study aimed to assess the correlation between TNF-α levels in the blood and skin tissues and neutrophils number with the wound age of wounds caused by sharp trauma. Methods: This study is an experimental study using animal models. The samples were divided into the control group and the group in which the blood and the skin tissue samples were taken 1-, 3-, 12-, 24-, 48- and 72 hours after being sharp traumatized. The Elisa method examined the samples from the blood, and the skin of the right back of the mice was examined for TNF-α levels. Others from the left-back skin of the mice were microscopically examined to assess the number of neutrophils. Results: The TNF- α level from the skin samples were detected in wound tissue as the peak levels were in the 24 hours post- traumatic group. The TNF-α levels from blood samples indicated a signifcant diference in TNF-α levels in each group (p < 0.05). However, TNF-α levels from skin samples showed no signifcant diference between each group. From the microscopic examination, there was a signifcant diference in the infltration of neutrophil cells in all groups (p<0,05). The neutrophils peak at 24 hours post-traumatic. Conclusion: There was no signifcant correlation between the TNF-α levels and the number of neutrophils with the wound age in wounds caused by sharp traumas. Keywords: ELISA, Neutrophils, Tumor Necrosis Factor-α, Wound age. Cite This Article: Cangara, M.H., Sari, I.W., Nelwan, B.J., Kaelan, C., Arsyadi, G. 2022. The relationship of tumor necrosis factor alpha levels and neutrophils with skin wound age caused by sharp trauma. Bali Medical Journal 11(1): 551-555. DOI: 10.15562/bmj.v11i1.3250 *Corresponding author: M. Husni Cangara; Department of Forensic and Medicolegal studies, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Hasanuddin; drhusni1977@gmail.com Received: 2022-03-01 Accepted: 2022-04-24 Published: 2022-04-30 551 Bali Medical Journal (Bali MedJ) 2022, Volume 11, Number 1: 551-555 P-ISSN.2089-1180, E-ISSN: 2302-2914 Open access: www.balimedicaljournal.org 1 Department of Forensic and Medicolegal studies, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Hasanuddin, Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia; 2 Department of Anatomical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Hasanuddin, Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia; 3 Installation of Forensic Medicine & Medicolegal, Bahteramas general Hospital, Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia; INTRODUCTION Sharp force injuries are the second most common cause of trauma afer blunt force injury. Tey are caused by sharp objects or instruments that can result in incised, stab and chopping wounds. All types of injuries that arise depend on the tool used and the method of abuse. 1 When viewed from the medicolegal aspect of examining wounds caused by sharp objects, a doctor must explain various important points such as the type of wound, the type of violence, a description of the shape of the weapon that caused the wound and the classifcation of the injuries. 2 Determination of wound’s intra- vitality and age is important in the feld of forensic medicine. Te wound healing were started in the frst few minutes afer the injury and could belast for several days until even years. 3 Te skin can repair its damaged tissue through wound healing process. Tis event consist of many steps like coagulation, infammation, proliferation and remodeling phases. In this mechanisms, there are several cytokines and growth factors are release, including Interleukin-1β (IL-1β), Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF), and other Growth Factors. 4 Proinfammatory cytokines has an important role in infammation process. Tese proteins can be applicated in the intra-vitality and wound age determination. Cytokines are mediators that have several functions, including initiating and infuencing many biological events such as infammation and wound healing. 5 Tey are produced by various cell types in skin, such as infammation cells, epithelial, endothelial and connective tissue cells. Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α) and other cytokines play an important role in the wound healing process. Cytokines are markers that can be increased, especially in the early stages of wound healing. Cytokines like TNF-α can be used as a markers of the wound healing. 3 TNF- α is a cytokine that triggers the expression of adhesion molecules, other cytokines and chemokines by