Association of Epidermolysis Bullosa Simplex With Mottled Pigmentation and EXPH5 Mutations.

Importance: Epidermolysis bullosa simplex (EBS) is a group of clinically and genetically diverse mechanobullous genodermatoses characterized by the fragility of skin and mucous membranes. Recently, mutations in EXPH5 encoding exophilin-5 (also known as Slac2-b, an effector protein involved in intracellular vesicle trafficking and exosome secretion) have been implicated in the pathophysiology of EBS. Herein, we report a novel homozygous nonsense mutation in EXPH5 responsible for an EBS subtype with mottled pigmentation. Objective: To identify the gene mutation(s) accountable for the mottled pigmentation phenotype in a patient with suspected inherited skin fragility disorder. Design, Setting, and Participant: Data for this case report were acquired in an outpatient clinic and concern a referral from the primary care physician to the national Center for Blistering Diseases in The Netherlands. Data were acquired and analyzed from 2014 to 2016. Main Outcomes and Measures: Clinical examination and investigation were performed of the molecular basis of patient's skin fragility and mottled pigmentation phenotype. Electron microscopy studies described the underlying abnormalities on an ultrastructural level. Results: The clinical phenotype is characterized by mild generalized skin fragility, trauma-induced skin blistering since infancy, and development of remarkable diffuse mottled pigmentation on the trunk and proximal extremities. Sequencing the complete set of genes associated with epidermolysis bullosa revealed a homozygous nonsense mutation in exon 6 of EXPH5: c.3917C>G, p.Ser1306*. Electron microscopy revealed disruption of keratin filament cytoskeleton and accumulation of melanosomes in a disordered distribution in the keratinocytes. Conclusions and Relevance: To our knowledge, the current study illustrates the first clinically well-documented, mottled pigmentation phenotype related to a novel EXPH5 mutation. In addition, by means of electron microscopy image analysis, it proposes a hypothesis for the pigmentary changes in this rare autosomal recessive EBS subtype. These findings expand the genetic and phenotypic spectrum of human inherited skin fragility disorders, and we propose the addition of EBS resulting from EXPH5 mutations to the EBS-mottled pigmentation subtype.

Heterozygosity for a Novel Missense Mutation in the ITGB4 Gene Associated With Autosomal Dominant Epidermolysis Bullosa.

IMPORTANCE: Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a group of mechanobullous genodermatoses characterized by the fragility of skin and mucous membranes. Mutations in the ITGA6 and ITGB4 genes, encoding the hemidesmosomal protein α6ß4-integrin, have been involved in the pathogenesis of EB. To date, the inheritance of these particular genes is known to be exclusively autosomal recessive. Herein, we report a novel heterozygous missense mutation in the ITGB4 gene exerting a dominant negative effect that cosegregates with the EB phenotype in an extended family. OBSERVATIONS: The clinical phenotype of affected individuals is primarily characterized by nail dystrophy and late onset of mild skin fragility and acral blistering. Some patients developed granulation tissue in the larynx, urethra, lacrimal duct, and external auditory canal. Sequencing the complete set of genes associated with EB revealed a heterozygous missense mutation in exon 5 of ITGB4: c.433G>T, p.Asp145Tyr. The mutation was found in the affected relatives and was not present in unaffected relatives and control DNA samples. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: This study highlights, for the first time to our knowledge, the possibility of a dominant mode of inheritance for a missense ITGB4 mutation in EB, thus expanding the mutational database and genotype-phenotype correlation for this rare disease.

Blistering disease: insight from the hemidesmosome and other components of the dermal-epidermal junction.

The hemidesmosome is a specialized transmembrane complex that mediates the binding of epithelial cells to the underlying basement membrane. In the skin, this multiprotein structure can be regarded as the chief adhesion unit at the site of the dermal-epidermal junction. Focal adhesions are additional specialized attachment structures located between hemidesmosomes. The integrity of the skin relies on well-assembled and functional hemidesmosomes and focal adhesions (also known as integrin adhesomes). However, if these adhesion structures are impaired, e.g., as a result of circulating autoantibodies or inherited genetic mutations, the mechanical strength of the skin is compromised, leading to blistering and/or tissue inflammation. A particular clinical presentation emerges subject to the molecule that is targeted. None of these junctional complexes are simply compounds of adhesion molecules; they also play a significant role in signalling pathways involved in the differentiation and migration of epithelial cells such as during wound healing and in tumour invasion. We summarize current knowledge about hereditary and acquired blistering diseases emerging from pathologies of the hemidesmosome and its neighbouring proteins as components of the dermal-epidermal junction.