Autosomal dominant inheritance in a large family with focal facial dermal dysplasia (Brauer-Setleis syndrome).

Focal facial dermal dysplasia (FFDD) (OMIM 227260) is a rare ectodermal disorder characterized by congenital bitemporal scar-like depressions resembling forceps marks and variable additional facial manifestations. No gene defects or gene loci for FFDD are known to date. We report on a large multi-generational German family with typical characteristics of FFDD and provide a detailed clinical description of four affected individuals. They had large bitemporal discolored dermal depressions, sparse lateral eyebrows, abnormal eyelashes, and dysplastic and low-set ears. Three of the four affected individuals had congenital horizontal nystagmus, which had hitherto only been reported in a single patient with FFDD. In contrast to previous assumptions about an autosomal recessive etiology of this disorder, this family provides further evidence that FFDD is inherited in an autosomal dominant mode. Although this family is not large enough to yield significant results in linkage analysis, it may, in combination with other families, contribute to the identification of a gene locus for this intriguing ectodermal disorder.

40 nm, but not 750 or 1,500 nm, nanoparticles enter epidermal CD1a+ cells after transcutaneous application on human skin.

Although conventional vaccines have generated major successes in the control of infectious diseases, several obstacles remain in their development against chronic diseases (HIV, tuberculosis), against which no current candidate vaccines yet ensure protection. The transcutaneous route of vaccine administration appears to be a promising approach of targeting vaccines toward antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and thus improving immune responses. We investigated the suitability of nanoparticles in this approach. We found a high density of Langerhans cells (LCs) around hair follicles that, when sorted, readily internalized all size particles. However, flow cytometry after transcutaneous application of 40, 750, or 1,500 nm nanoparticles on human skin samples revealed that only 40 nm particles entered epidermal LC. Fluorescence and laser scan microscopies, which were carried out to identify the penetration pathway of transcutaneously applied nanoparticles, revealed that only 40 nm particles deeply penetrate into vellus hair openings and through the follicular epithelium. We conclude that 40 nm nanoparticles, but not 750 or 1,500 nm nanoparticles, may be efficiently used to transcutaneously deliver vaccine compounds via the hair follicle into cutaneous APCs.

Profiling of alopecia areata autoantigens based on protein microarray technology.

Protein biochips have a great potential in future parallel processing of complex samples as a research tool and in diagnostics. For the generation of protein biochips, highly automated technologies have been developed for cDNA expression library production, high throughput protein expression, large scale analysis of proteins, and protein microarray generation. Using this technology, we present here a strategy to identify potential autoantigens involved in the pathogenesis of alopecia areata, an often chronic disease leading to the rapid loss of scalp hair. Only little is known about the putative autoantigen(s) involved in this process. By combining protein microarray technology with the use of large cDNA expression libraries, we profiled the autoantibody repertoire of sera from alopecia areata patients against a human protein array consisting of 37,200 redundant, recombinant human proteins. The data sets obtained from incubations with patient sera were compared with control sera from clinically healthy persons and to background incubations with anti-human IgG antibodies. From these results, a smaller protein subset was generated and subjected to qualitative and quantitative validation on highly sensitive protein microarrays to identify novel alopecia areata-associated autoantigens. Eight autoantigens were identified by protein chip technology and were successfully confirmed by Western blot analysis. These autoantigens were arrayed on protein microarrays to generate a disease-associated protein chip. To confirm the specificity of the results obtained, sera from patients with psoriasis or hand and foot eczema as well as skin allergy were additionally examined on the disease-associated protein chip. By using alopecia areata as a model for an autoimmune disease, our investigations show that the protein microarray technology has potential for the identification and evaluation of autoantigens as well as in diagnosis such as to differentiate alopecia areata from other skin diseases.