Intraepidermal expression of basement membrane components in the lesional skin of a patient with dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa.

Abstract

The patient was a 15-year-old male. Since birth, he had developed blistering and erosion of the skin. Biopsy skin specimen of the bullous lesions showed subepidermal blister formation. Electron microscopic examination revealed that tissue separation had occurred at the sublamina densa level. By indirect immunofluorescence using antibodies specific for alpha 6 integrin, laminin 5, type IV collagen, and type VII collagen, all of these basement membrane components were detected as coarse granular intracytoplasmic deposits only in the basal and suprabasal cells of the blister roof. In the non-blistered regions, these basement membrane components showed a linear pattern similar to that seen in normal skin. These findings suggest that intraepidermal expression of basement membrane components was closely related to the blister formation. The biological meaning of intraepidermal expression of basement membrane components were also discussed.

• Authors: T Muramatsu, T Ko, K Honoki, M Hatoko, T Shirai, P Vnittanakom
• Journal: The Journal of dermatology (J Dermatol) Vol. 26 Issue 2 Pg. 106-10 (Feb 1999) ISSN: 0385-2407 [Print] England
• PMID: 10091480 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antigens, CD
• Cell Adhesion Molecules
• Integrin alphaV
• kalinin
• Collagen

Topics

• Adolescent
• Antigens, CD (analysis)
• Basement Membrane (chemistry)
• Blister (metabolism)
• Cell Adhesion Molecules (analysis)
• Collagen (analysis)
• Epidermolysis Bullosa Dystrophica (metabolism)
• Humans
• Integrin alphaV
• Male
• Skin (chemistry)