title: Piebald trait: implication of kit mutation on in vitro melanocyte survival and on the clinical application of cultured epidermal autografts.
abstract: Piebald trait leukoderma results from "loss-of-function" mutations in the kit gene. Correlations between mutation type and clinical phenotype have been reported. However, mutation classification has been mainly based on the clinical features of patients. The aim of this study was to get a better understanding of the pathogenesis of human piebaldism by establishing whether the kit mutation type may affect the in vitro survival/proliferation of patient melanocytes. Overall, the research was finalized to implement the clinical application of the autologous cultured epidermis in the treatment of piebald patients. Seven patients, who were transplanted with autologous in vitro reconstituted epidermis, showed an average percentage of repigmentation of 90.7. Six novel and one previously reported mutations were found and their postulated effects discussed in relation to the clinical phenotype and in vitro behavior of epidermal cells. Although mutation type did not impair repigmentation given by autotransplantation, it was shown to influence the survival/proliferation of co-cultured melanocytes and keratinocytes. In particular, tyrosine kinase domain mutations were found with melanocyte loss and keratinocyte senescence during expansion of epidermal cultures. Results indicate that the clinical application of cultured epidermis in piebald patients may be optimized by investigating mutation functional effects before planning surgical operations.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Tissue Engineering and Cutaneous Physiopathology, Istituto Dermopatico dell'Immacolata, IRCCS, Via dei Monti di Creta 104, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bondanza
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bellini
authors.forename: Gaia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Roversi
authors.forename: Desanka
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Raskovic
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maurelli
authors.forename: Emanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Paionni
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Paterna
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dellambra
authors.forename: Lidia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Larizza
authors.forename: Liliana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guerra
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002470:Cell Survival; D002648:Child; D000078404:Epidermal Cells; D004817:Epidermis / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D016116:Piebaldism / Q000235:genetics*; D010858:Pigmentation; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000235:genetics*; D016038:Skin Transplantation
chemical_list: D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit