title: Ultrastructural demonstration of a relationship between acquired cutis laxa and monoclonal gammopathy.
abstract: Acquired cutis laxa is an uncommon disorder sometimes associated with monoclonal gammopathy and multiple myeloma, although the mechanism of this link is unclear. We report here a case of a 34-year-old man with generalized acquired cutis laxa and monoclonal light chain disease with renal and neurological involvement. Electron microscopy examination of a skin sample revealed shortened and fragmented elastic fibres in the reticular dermis and normal collagen bundles. Immunogold labelling revealed anti-lambda antibodies closely bound to the microfibrillar component of elastic fibres, thus supporting a causal relationship between monoclonal gammopathy and the changes in skin elasticity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Université François Rabelais, Tours, France.
authors.forename: Annabel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maruani
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Arbeille
authors.forename: Marie-Christine
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Machet
authors.forename: Christelle
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barbet
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Laure
authors.forename: Ludovic
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Machet
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis; D003094:Collagen / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003483:Cutis Laxa / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D020405:Dermis / Q000276:immunology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004547:Elastic Tissue / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains / Q000276:immunology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010265:Paraproteinemias / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains; D003094:Collagen