title: Reduced anchoring fibril formation and collagen VII immunoreactivity in feline dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa.
abstract: Dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa was diagnosed in a cat with juvenile-onset epithelial sloughing of the oral mucosa, footpads, and haired skin. Dermoepidermal separation occurred in the absence of inflammation or cytolysis of basal epidermal cells. Collagen IV-specific immunostaining corroborated the fact that clefting took place below the epidermal basement membrane. Ultrastructural examination revealed that the proband's anchoring fibrils exhibited a filamentous morphology and were decreased in number compared with those in a normal cat. Finally, the attenuated immunoreactivity for collagen VII in our patient led us to suspect that its encoding gene, COL7A1, could be mutated in this case of feline dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa.
authors.affiliation: Department of Companion Animal and Special Species, North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh 27606, USA. Thierry_Olivry@ncsu.edu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Olivry
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Dunston
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Marinkovich
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001706:Biopsy / Q000662:veterinary; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D002415:Cats; D003094:Collagen / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D016108:Epidermolysis Bullosa Dystrophica / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D000939:Epitopes; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008854:Microscopy, Electron / Q000662:veterinary; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D012867:Skin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000939:Epitopes; D003094:Collagen