PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M F Jonkman

Publications and source records attributed to M F Jonkman.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Linear IgA bullous dermatosis in a patient with renal cell carcinoma.

Linear IgA bullous dermatosis (LABD) is an autoimmune subepidermal bullous disease with heterogeneous clinical manifestations, characterized by linear deposition of IgA along the epidermal basement membrane zone. We report a patient with a metastasized renal cell carcinoma who developed an extensive blistering eruption. The lesions showed immunopathological findings characteristic of LABD. The patient showed a fair response to prednisolone and dapsone. Treatment to control the LABD was no longer required when interferon-alfa was started as palliative therapy for the metastasized renal cell carcinoma. The association of LABD and malignancies has been documented before and is not due to mere chance alone.

Autoimmune Diseases↗

Normal expression of the 19-DEJ-1 epitope in two siblings with late-onset junctional epidermolysis bullosa.

We describe two siblings with late-onset junctional epidermolysis bullosa (JEB) (formerly called epidermolysis junctionalis progressiva). This is a subtype of autosomal recessive JEB characterized by late onset of the symptoms, between the ages of 5 and 8 years. The symptoms are mechanobullous lesions preferentially situated on hands and feet, nail dystrophy, loss of dermatoglyphic pattern, tooth enamel abnormalities and hyperhidrosis. In most forms of JEB a reduction or absence of a specific hemidesmosomal component can be demonstrated by means of immunohistochemical analysis. In this family, all known involved hemidesmosomal components, including uncein, recognized by the monoclonal antibody 19-DEJ-1, appeared to be normally expressed.

Adolescent↗

False-negative results in immunoblot assay of serum IgA antibodies reactive with the 180-kDa bullous pemphigoid antigen: the importance of primary incubation temperature.

BACKGROUND: Different subepidermal autoimmune blistering skin disorders are characterized by linear deposition of IgA, sometimes accompanied by linear IgG, along the epidermal basement membrane zone. Identification of the targeted autoantigen is usually attempted by immunoblotting. Although immunoblotting works well for human IgG, the method is less successful for IgA and often no or only faint signals are obtained. OBJECTIVES: To improve the method of immunoblotting for diagnosis of IgA-mediated bullous dermatoses. METHODS: Eleven sera, selected from patients with linear deposition of IgA along the epidermal basement membrane zone in vivo, were tested by immunoblotting for antigen specificity using different primary incubation temperatures. RESULTS: No reliable information regarding IgA antigen specificity was obtained when the primary incubation was undertaken at room temperature. In 10 of 11 sera, IgA bound to the 180-kDa bullous pemphigoid antigen (BP180) when the primary incubation temperature was increased to 37 degrees C. CONCLUSIONS: Primary incubation at room temperature may result in false-negative results in the IgA-BP180 immunoblot assay.

Aged↗

Cicatricial pemphigoid with circulating autoantibodies to beta4 integrin, bullous pemphigoid 180 and bullous pemphigoid 230.

Cicatricial pemphigoid is a heterogeneous group of autoimmune subepidermal blistering diseases associated most commonly with autoantibodies to bullous pemphigoid (BP)180 and less frequently with those to laminin 5 or type VII collagen. In addition, a few cases have been described with autoantibodies to the beta4 subunit of alpha6beta4 integrin. We describe a patient with extensive disease of ocular, oral, pharyngeal, laryngeal and genital mucous membranes that healed with scarring of conjunctivae. IgG autoantibodies bound to the dermal-epidermal junction on direct immunofluorescence (IF) microscopy and to the epidermal side of 1 mol L(-1) NaCl-split skin on indirect IF microscopy. Our patient's circulating IgG recognized a 205-kDa protein in extracts of 293T cells transfected with the beta4 subunit of alpha6beta4 integrin and in the cell extract of DJM-1 cells. Our patient's IgG and IgA autoantibodies also reacted with full-length BP180 derived from epidermal extracts and the ectodomain of BP180 (LAD-1) derived from culture supernatant of keratinocytes. In addition, a weak IgG reaction with BP230 was noted. The disease rapidly responded to dexamethasone-cyclophosphamide pulse therapy, and immunoblot reactivity to both beta4 integrin and BP180 decreased according to disease activity.

Aged↗

Successful dexamethasone pulse therapy in a toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) patient featuring recurrent TEN to oxazepam.

A 62-year-old female patient is described who developed toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) after medication with phenytoin and oxazepam. Initially phenytoin was discontinued and dexamethasone pulse therapy (1.5 mg/kg on 3 consecutive days) was initiated on the tenth day of skin disease. This resulted in clinical improvement. Histologically re-epithelialization could be demonstrated below the necrotic epidermis. However, on the eighteenth day of skin disease (10 days after discontinuation of phenytoin and 8 days after the start of dexamethasone pulse therapy), a histologically verified rebound-TEN developed with a detachment of 95%. Oxazepam was stopped and a second series of dexamethasone pulse therapy was given. Re-epithelialization began within 24 h of the start of the second series of dexamethasone pulse therapy, and continued to almost complete recovery within 1 week.

Anticonvulsants↗

[Bullous dermatitis self-induced].

In three patients, two women aged 37 and 20 years and a man aged 46 years, a blistering skin condition was observed. Histopathological examination of the skin lesions revealed a blister level just beneath the stratum granulosum, which is proof of a friction blister. The patients were suffering from bullous dermatitis artefacta or bullous pathomimia. This is a psychiatric disorder characterised by rubbing skin blisters but denying self-infliction. Early diagnosis is important to prevent unnecessary drug therapy and chronic morbidity. The typical histology supports the doctor in his suspected diagnosis. A supportive and empathic dual disciplinary approach (by somatic physician and psychosocial worker) is recommended, avoiding direct confrontation with the self-inflicted nature of the lesions, and using the 'narrow escape' strategy, avoiding loss of face of the patient.

Adult↗

Inflammatory variant of epidermolysis bullosa acquisita with IgG autoantibodies against type VII collagen and laminin alpha3.

BACKGROUND: The inflammatory variant of epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA) may clinically closely resemble bullous or cicatricial pemphigoid. Patients with inflammatory EBA have IgG autoantibodies against type VII collagen. Patients with anti-epiligrin cicatricial pemphigoid have IgG autoantibodies against laminin 5. OBSERVATION: We describe a patient with inflammatory EBA exhibiting nonscarring oral and vaginal involvement. Indirect immunofluorescence using skin substrate lacking an epidermal basement membrane molecule, direct immunoelectron microscopy, immunoblot, and immunoprecipitation studies revealed the simultaneous presence of circulating IgG autoantibodies against type VII collagen and laminin alpha3. A final diagnosis of EBA was based on the sublamina densa level of blister formation. CONCLUSION: This case illustrates the clinical and immunological overlap between EBA and anti-epiligrin cicatricial pemphigoid, a unique finding that may have developed as a consequence of epitope spreading.

Autoantibodies↗

Paraneoplastic pemphigus caused by an epithelioid leiomyosarcoma and associated with fatal respiratory failure.

A patient is described who initially presented with pemphigus vulgaris, limited to the oral cavity, and weight loss. Although the various laboratory studies pointed to the diagnosis of paraneoplastic pemphigus (PNP), the underlying neoplasm was not detected until 6 months later, when the patient developed shortness of breath and routine physical examination on admission revealed an abdominal mass, which eventually was proven to be an epithelioid leiomyosarcoma. In spite of radical excision of the tumour and intensive treatment of the dyspnoea, the patient died of respiratory failure 19 months after the PNP had been diagnosed. Early diagnosis of PNP is stressed to possibly prevent fatal pulmonary involvement.

Abdominal Neoplasms↗

Autoantibodies in anti-p200 pemphigoid stain skin lacking laminin 5 and type VII collagen.

We report the case of a patient with a widespread bullous skin disease and linear deposits of IgG and C3 at the dermal-epidermal junction using direct immunofluorescence microscopy. Indirect immunofluorescence analysis demonstrated circulating IgG autoantibodies that stained, like autoantibodies to laminin 5 and type VII collagen, the dermal side of 1 mol L-1 NaCl-split human skin. By immunoblotting dermal extracts, the patient's serum, like serum samples from two control patients, reacted with a 200-kDa protein. Using immunoelectron microscopy, the serum labelled a component of the lower lamina lucida, but not the lamina densa/sublamina densa region, distinguishing this from the type VII collagen localization pattern. By immunofluorescence microscopy on skin sections from patients lacking either laminin 5 (Herlitz's epidermolysis bullosa) or type VII collagen (recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa of Hallopeau-Siemens), the patient's serum retained reactivity with these test substrates. The patient's disease responded rapidly to the use of topical corticosteroids and lesions healed without scarring or milia formation. Our results provide strong evidence for the hypothesis that the 200 kDa autoantigen is different from laminin 5 and type VII collagen. For this new disease, we propose the designation 'anti-p200 pemphigoid'.

Autoantibodies↗

Two type XVII collagen (BP180) mRNA transcripts in human keratinocytes: a long and a short form.

We have analysed BP180 mRNA expression in normal human keratinocytes. Here we report the presence in normal keratinocytes of two COL17A1 transcripts which differ by 0.6 kb in length. Both mRNAs hybridized on Northern blot with probes directed to sequences encoding intracellular and extracellular fragments of BP180. By BLAST homology search alignments we extended the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) of the known BP180 mRNA sequence by 877 bases to completion. Three of 20 cDNAs identified by BLAST searches contained a 610 bp deletion in this new 3'UTR sequence. Northern blot analysis with a probe complementary to this deleted sequence showed binding only to the larger mRNA. The deletion of 610 nucleotides in the smaller mRNA was verified by reverse transcription-PCR and sequencing. Genomic PCR showed the new sequence to be an extension of exon 56 of the COL17A1 gene which suggests that the second mRNA is generated by differential splicing. In normal keratinocytes the level of the smaller transcript was 5-15% of that of the larger transcript whereas in a squamous cell carcinoma cell line this ratio was reversed, the smaller mRNA being three times more abundant than the larger mRNA. The biological significance of this newly identified transcript in protein synthesis and tissue expression or in cell differentiation, proliferation or adhesion is as yet unknown.

Autoantigens↗

Exempting homologous pseudogene sequences from polymerase chain reaction amplification allows genomic keratin 14 hotspot mutation analysis.

In patients with the major forms of epidermolysis bullosa simplex, either of the keratin genes KRT5 or KRT14 is mutated. This causes a disturbance of the filament network resulting in skin fragility and blistering. For KRT5, a genomic mutation detection system has been described previously. Mutation detection of KRT14 on a DNA level is, however, hampered by the presence of a highly homologous but nontranscribed KRT14 pseudogene. Consequently, mutation detection in epidermolysis bullosa simplex has mostly been carried out on cDNA synthesized from KRT5 and KRT14 transcripts in mRNA isolated from skin biopsies. Here we present a genomic mutation detection system for exons 1, 4, and 6 of KRT14 that encode the 1A, L1-2, and 2B domains of the keratin 14 protein containing the mutation hotspots. After cutting the KRT14 pseudogene genomic sequences with restriction enzymes while leaving the homologous genomic sequences of the functional gene intact, only the mutation hotspot-containing exons of the functional KRT14 gene are amplified. This is followed by direct sequencing of the polymerase chain reaction products. In this way, three novel mutations could be identified, Y415H, L419Q, and E422K, all located in the helix termination motif of the keratin 14 rod domain 2B, resulting in moderate, severe, and mild epidermolysis bullosa simplex phenotype, respectively. By obviating the need of KRT14 cDNA synthesis from RNA isolated from skin biopsies, this approach substantially facilitates the detection of KRT14 hotspot mutations.

DNA Mutational Analysis↗

Epidermolysis bullosa simplex with mottled pigmentation: clinical aspects and confirmation of the P24L mutation in the KRT5 gene in further patients.

Epidermolysis bullosa simplex with mottled pigmentation (EBS-MP) is a rare dermatologic disorder of autosomal dominant inheritance with intraepidermal blistering after minor trauma, reticular hyperpigmentation unrelated to the blistering, nail dystrophy, and mild palmoplantar keratosis. Keratin 5 and keratin 14 are known to be essential for the basal keratinocyte cytoskeleton and are defective in several forms of epidermolysis bullosa simplex. Recently, a 71C-->T transition in the keratin 5 gene (KRT5) causing a P24L substitution was identified in some patients with EBS-MP. We present a family with three affected members and a sporadic patient with EBS-MP. They exemplify clinically mild expression with intrafamilial variability and the possibility of improvement with time. In all of them, mutation analysis of the KRT5 gene showed the P24L mutation. So far, other mutations in the same or in other genes have not been reported in patients with EBS-MP.

Adult↗