Objective To observe the differences in protein contents of three transforming growth factorbeta(TGF-β) isoforms, β1, β2, β3 andtheir receptor(I) in hypertrophic scar and normal skin and to explore their influence on scar formation. Methods Eight cases of hypertrophic scar and their corresponding normal skin were detected to compare the expression and distribution of TGF-β1, β2, β3 and receptor(I) with immunohistochemistry and common pathological methods. Results Positive signals of TGF-β1, β2, and β3 could all be deteted in normal skin, mainly in the cytoplasm and extracellular matrix of epidermal cells; in addition, those factors could also be found in interfollicular keratinocytes and sweat gland cells; and the positive particles of TGF-β R(I) were mostly located in the membrane of keratinocytes and some fibroblasts. In hypertrophic scar, TGF-β1 and β3 could be detected in epidermal basal cells; TGFβ2 chiefly distributed in epidermal cells and some fibroblast cells; the protein contents of TGF-β1 and β3 were significantly lower than that of normal skin, while the change of TGF-β2 content was undistinguished when compared withnormalskin. In two kinds of tissues, the distribution and the content of TGF-β R(I) hadno obviously difference. ConclusionThe different expression and distribution of TGF-β1, β2 andβ3 between hypertrophic scar and normal skin may beassociated with the mechanism controlling scar formation, in which the role of the TGF-βR (I) and downstream signal factors need to be further studied.