The De Barsy syndrome.
BACKGROUND
In 1968, De Barsy reported on a girl exhibiting an aged aspect, 'dwarfism, oligophrenia, and degeneration of the elastic tissue in cornea and skin'. The disorder was recognized as a subgroup of cutis laxa syndrome and termed De Barsy-Moens-Dierckx syndrome. The pathogenesis of the disorder is unknown.


METHODS
To improve the comprehension of the pathogenetic mechanisms involved in the De Barsy syndrome, we performed an ultrastructural, morphometric, immunocytochemical study on a skin biopsy of a boy with the De Barsy phenotype, who has been clinically followed for 12 years from birth. Moreover, the lysyl oxidase activity was measured on skin fibroblasts cultured in vitro.


RESULTS
Light and electron microscopy, morphometry, and immunocytochemical observations showed a significant reduction of the elastic fibers in the papillary and in the reticular dermis of patient compared to an age-matched control (p < 0.05). By contrast, the collagen structure, content, and the distribution were normal, as well as lysyl oxidase activity in the medium of in vitro fibroblasts (12,323 DPM/10(6) cells). The immunoreaction for antibodies recognizing fibrillin-1, neutrophilic elastase, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha was stronger, whereas that for antibodies against transforming growth factor-beta was less pronounced in the dermis of the De Barsy boy compared to control.


CONCLUSIONS
Clinical, phenotypic, and structural data were consistent with the diagnosis of De Barsy syndrome. This is the first case described in Italy. Clinical and structural data confirm that the elastic component is mostly affected in this disorder. Moreover, ultrastructural and immunochemical findings suggest that both elastic fiber degradative and very likely synthetic processes are involved.
Department of Biomedical Sciences, General Hospital, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy. guerra.deanna@unimore.it
Deanna
D
Guerra
Claudio
C
Fornieri
Barbara
B
Bacchelli
Licia
L
Lugli
Paola
P
Torelli
Fiorella
F
Balli
Paola
P
Ferrari
D000015:Abnormalities, Multiple / Q000473:pathology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004549:Elastin / Q000172:deficiency; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000201:enzymology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D011371:Progeria / Q000473:pathology; D008249:Protein-Lysine 6-Oxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012868:Skin Abnormalities; D013577:Syndrome
D004549:Elastin; D008249:Protein-Lysine 6-Oxidase