Methotrexate treatment of recurrent impetigo herpetiformis with hypoparathyroidism.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to S Kárpáti.
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BACKGROUND: Mutations in the type VII collagen gene (COL7A1) are responsible for dominant and recessive forms of dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB). These mutations are usually specific for individual families; only a few cases of recurring mutations have been identified. OBJECTIVES: Forty-three unrelated Hungarian and German patients with different DEB phenotypes were screened for novel and recurrent COL7A1 mutations. METHODS: All patients were classified based on clinical and genetic findings, skin immunofluorescent antigen mapping, and electron microscopic studies. Mutation analysis was performed by amplification of genomic DNA with polymerase chain reaction using COL7A1-specific primers, heteroduplex analysis, and direct nucleotide sequencing. Restriction endonuclease digestion was used for family screening and mutation verification. Results In this group of patients, the splice-site mutation 425A-->G was observed frequently, in 11 of 86 alleles (12.8%), once in homozygous form and in nine cases in heterozygous form. One of 100 control alleles from clinically unaffected individuals also carried the mutation. We also identified three novel mutations: the 976-3C-->A splice-site mutation, and the 4929delT and 8441-15del20 deletions. CONCLUSIONS: High recurrence of the splice-site mutation 425A-->G in central European patients with DEB should be taken into account when designing COL7A1 mutation detection strategies. Reporting of three novel COL7A1 mutations in this study further emphasizes the molecular heterogeneity of DEB and provides more information for studies on genotype-phenotype correlations in different DEB subtypes.
Benign familial chronic pemphigus (Hailey-Hailey disease, HHD) is a rare hereditary condition characterized by development of blisters at sites of friction and in the intertriginous areas. Mutations in the ATP2C1 gene, which encodes the human secretory pathway calcium ATPase 1 (hSPCA1), have been identified as possible causative mutations. Studying Hungarian patients with HHD, we found two novel, distinct, heterozygous mutations. In a 65-year-old man with a 41-year history of severe recurrent symptoms, a single nucleotide insertion, 1085insA, was detected. In a patient whose symptoms were induced by environmental contact allergens, we found a nonsense mutation, Q506X, in exon 17. Our study further illustrates the diversity of mutational events in the pathogenesis of HHD.
BACKGROUND: Recently, epidermal transglutaminase (TG) has been identified within the papillary IgA granules in dermatitis herpetiformis (DH). Although IgA type autoantibodies to tissue and epidermal TGs are characteristic serological markers for DH, these antibodies do not bind to normal papillary skin structures. AIMS: To test the possibility of IgA immune complex precipitation within the vessel walls as a first step in the pathogenesis of skin symptoms, we analysed immunoglobulin, complement, and epidermal TG deposition along the vascular system of DH skin. METHODS: Punch biopsy specimen were taken from 116 DH patients' skin, and evaluated for the presence of vascular immune precipitates by direct immunofluorescence. Skin samples from 16 DH patients were also studied for tissue and epidermal TGs. RESULTS: In 74 (64%) of the 116 DH skin studied, significant vascular staining accompanied the DH-specific granular IgA fluorescence (IgA and C3 in 39 patients; IgA alone in 18; IgA, C3 and IgM together in five; IgM alone in 12). In most cases (92%), the precipitates were detected in the small vessels of the papillary dermis; however, a subpapillary vascular fluorescence was also observed in a few patients (8%). Skin IgA colocalized with epidermal TG in the vessel walls and within the scattered papillary peri- and intervascular DH bodies. Tissue TG did not colocalize either with the immunoglobulins or with the complement precipitates of the dermis. Furthermore, we could not detect keratinocyte TG in the DH bodies nor in the vessel walls. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support possible immune complex precipitation in the vessel walls of DH skin and further confirm the significance of epidermal but not tissue TG in the pathomechanism of skin symptoms.
Mutation analysis in the ATP2A2 gene had been performed in eight Hungarian patients with Darier's disease (DD), to get more information about phenotype-genotype relations. All patients had moderate to severe skin symptoms. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the entire coding region of ATP2A2 was performed. Mutation detection strategies included heteroduplex scanning by conformation-sensitive gel electrophoresis (CSGE) and direct nucleotide sequencing. We found distinct, heterozygous mutations (five missense, one nonsense, one deletion, and one insertion), six of which were novel. In a 31-year-old DD woman with learning difficulties we disclosed a previously described missense mutation (D702N) in exon 15. A 44-year-old DD woman had a novel T insertion at nucleotide 559 in exon 7 of the ATP2A2 gene, which resulted in a premature termination codon (PTC) at codon 192. A woman, whose skin symptoms developed unusually late, at the age 50, had a new T deletion (1320delT) in exon 11 resulting in a PTC at codon 448. Our most severe case had a known missense mutation N39T, resulting in a non-conservative amino acid change at the upstream stalk region. Three new missense mutations (A161D, R164S, and Q790P) affected conservative regions of the SERCA2 protein within the activation (A)-domain and the M6 transmembrane region. A further new nonsense mutation (C909X) was detected in the M8 transmembrane domain. Our data suggest that differences in DD phenotypes are probably also related to factors different from the type of causative mutation.
A 48-year-old woman with a follicular, grade III, B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma developed clinical, immunopathological and histological features of paraneoplastic pemphigus. The skin symptoms flared after repeated cyclophosphamide infusions, and were preceded and accompanied by a progressive dyspnoea. Although the skin and oral mucosal disease went into remission with high-dose steroid and intravenous immunoglobulin therapy, the severe alveolitis led to death. Immunoblotting of human epidermal extracts showed that the patient's serum IgG reacted with the 210-kDa envoplakin, 190-kDa periplakin, as well as the recombinant protein of BP180 NC16a domain. IgG and IgA enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for desmoglein 3 were positive, too. Indirect immunofluorescence studies on COS-7 cells transiently transfected with desmocollin 1-3 cDNAs showed that the patient's serum contained IgG and IgA antibodies to desmocollin 3 as well as IgG antibodies to desmocollin 2. Serum IgG and IgA strongly stained rat bronchial epithelium, corresponding to autoantibodies possibly involved in the pathomechanism of the severe lung disease. In this case, which was characterized by a mixed IgA/IgG antibody panel displaying known and unique antigenicity, the serious episodes of paraneoplastic pemphigus flared after cyclophosphamide treatment.
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Congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma (CIE) belongs together with lamellar ichthyosis (LI) to the group of autosomal recessive congenital ichthyoses (ARCI). Mutations in the transglutaminase (TGase) 1 gene (TGM1) have been identified in several families with LI and in some families with CIE. We report a case of CIE with two new nonsense mutations: a C7780G transversion in exon 11 resulting in a premature stop codon at aminoacid residue Y503X and a C8533G transversion in exon 13 leading to a nonsense mutation at S669X. These mutations were also identified in a heterozygous pattern in the unaffected parents. These two termination-codons result in the translation of a truncated protein at the C-terminal end domain of the TGM 1 molecule. B.C1 monoclonal antibody failed to detect TGase 1 in the patient's skin sample, and TGase activity measured by monodansyl cadaverine-incorporation showed the reduced TGase activity at the distribution of TGase 1 in the epidermis.
A 25-year-old woman with Hallopeau-Siemens recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa had generalized blistering, scarring and milia since birth. In the course of the disease, acral pseudosyndactyly developed, and the patient suffered from corneal erosions, oesophageal strictures, malabsorption, recurrent severe pneumonias and nephrotic syndrome. In addition, she had severe anaemia, sideropaenia, hypocalcaemia, heavy proteinuria and hypoalbuminaemia. A rapidly growing skin squamous cell carcinoma developed on the neck that spread to axillary and cervical lymph nodes. Recurrent hypocalcaemic tetanic convulsions and dyspnoea and a pneumonia refractory to antibiotics led to the premature demise of the patient. Autopsy revealed extensive amyloidosis of the renal, hepatic and splenic tissues. AA type amyloid deposits were detected in the renal glomeruli and in the lung, explaining the patient's unusually severe pulmonary infections. In essence, the patient had severe recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, complicated by squamous cell carcinoma, recurrent pneumonias and nephrotic syndrome due to secondary amyloidosis of the kidney and lung. The possibility of secondary pulmonary amyloidosis should be considered in severe dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa patients with recurrent pulmonary infections.
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Authors present 5 cases of generalized contact and photocontact dermatitis due to topically applied ketoprofen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. They investigated the sensitisation and photosensitisation to the drug and also the possible cross-reactivity.
Authors summarise the two-decade experience of their department in severe tissue necrosis of penis and scrotum. Presented cases represent a shared field of urology with dermatology, infectology, nephrology and andrology. Tissue necrosis extended to different depth of the penis, from superficial skin and subcutaneous tissues, fascias to the entire organ. Underlying diseases are acute and chronic inflammations, metabolic diseases, vascular lesions. Diagnostic difficulties and therapeutic choices, both conservative and operative, are discussed.
The X-linked dominant Conradi-Hünermann-Happle (CDPX2, MIM 302960) syndrome belongs to the rare, heterogeneous group of diseases called chondrodysplasia punctata. The disease has been connected recently with deficiency of 3beta-hydroxysteroid-Delta8-Delta7-isomerase (also called emopamil-binding protein, EBP), catalysing an intermediate step in the conversion of lanosterol to cholesterol (1, 2). We report a case of CDPX2 with a new missense mutation (C-->G 439) in exon 4, leading to a R147G aminoacid substitution in the EBP.
In a 51-year-old female patient with intraepidermal neutrophilic IgA dermatosis (IEN) type of IgA pemphigus, circulating IgA, but not IgG, autoantibodies were detected to bind to the cell surface of the whole epidermis, being much stronger in the upper epidermis. In the patient's skin a heavy intraepidermal IgA staining was observed throughout the whole epidermis, accompanied by a weak IgG and a more prominent C3 staining. IgA from the patient's serum showed no reactivity either with epidermal proteins by immunoblot analysis, or with COS 7 cells transiently transfected with mammalian cell expression constructs containing full length human Dsc1, Dsc2 and Dsc3. Our patient's IgA specifically reacted with conformational epitopes of human desmoglein (Dsg) 1 but not Dsg 3, when studied in a previously established, here for IgA antibody detection modified enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA) of baculovirus expression system. The immunoreactivity against keratinocyte cell surface was completely removed from the serum of the patient by pre-incubation with recombinant Dsg1 baculoprotein. This finding indicates that the sera possess only IgA antibodies against the extracellular domain of Dsg1 baculoprotein, but no antibodies against components of keratinocyte cell surface other than Dsg1. This is the first case of IgA pemphigus where Dsg1 has been identified as the autoantigen.
Histamine has been implicated as one of the mediators involved in regulation of proliferation in both normal and neoplastic tissues. Histidine decarboxylase, the only enzyme that catalyzes the formation of histamine from L-histidine, is an essential regulator of histamine levels. In this study, we investigated the gene and protein expression of histidine decarboxylase in melanoma. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization studies of WM-35, WM-983/B, HT-168, and M1 human melanoma cell lines both resulted in positive signals for histidine decarboxylase messenger RNA. A polyclonal chicken antibody was developed against human histidine decarboxylase and protein expression was confirmed by western blot analysis of the cell lysates, revealing a predominant immunoreactive band at approximately 54 kDa corresponding to monomeric histidine decarboxylase. Protein expression of histidine decarboxylase was also shown by flow cytometric analysis and strong punctate cytoplasmic staining of melanoma cell lines. Moreover, both primary and metastatic human melanoma tissues were brightly stained for histidine decarboxylase. When compared with the very weak or no reactions on cultivated human melanocytes both western blot and immunohistochemical studies showed much stronger histidine decarboxylase expression in melanoma cells. These findings suggest that expression of histidine decarboxylase is elevated in human melanoma.
BACKGROUND: Tissue transglutaminase (tTG) has recently been found to be the major if not the only autoantigen of gluten-sensitive enteropathy (GSE). OBJECTIVES: To further determine the significance of this finding for diagnostic (screening) and follow-up purposes, we performed tTG-based ELISAs, and compared the results to the endomysium antibody test (EMA). PATIENTS: We examined 120 serum samples from patients with celiac disease (CD) including 72 on a gluten-free diet (GFD) and eleven on a gluten challenge, 47 with dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) including 16 on a GFD and one on a gluten challenge, 96 with non-CD gastrointestinal diseases, and 117 with others; i.e. 380 serum samples altogether. Follow-up sera from 13 patients were included. METHODS: Results of an ELISA with guinea pig liver tTG were compared with the EMA test using monkey esophagus. Inhibition of endomysial staining was performed with sera positive on the EMA test but negative with the guinea pig tTG ELISA. RESULTS: The specificity and sensitivity of the tTG ELISA are high (98.6% and 92.5%). The serum IgA antibody titers against tTG decrease after introduction of a GFD. In one case, endomysial staining could not be inhibited. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that the guinea pig tTG ELISA is suitable for use as a simple diagnostic screening and follow-up method for GSE. Further studies are necessary to identify possible additional minor antigens in GSE.
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