title: Deletion of the late cornified envelope genes LCE3B and LCE3C may promote chronic hand eczema with allergic contact dermatitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Genetically determined defects in epidermal skin barrier function may contribute to the development of irritant and/or allergic contact dermatitis in chronic hand eczema (CHE).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess whether a deletion in the late cornified envelope genes LCE3B and LCE3C may constitute a genetic predisposition for the development of CHE or any of its subtypes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 153 German patients with clearly defined CHE subtypes and 268 healthy individuals were screened for the deletion LCE3C_LCE3B-del by allele-specific polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Classification of the patients by etiologic subtypes revealed an association between the LCE3C_LCE3B-del allele and CHE due to allergic contact dermatitis. In this subtype, 19/37 patients (51.4%) were homozygous deletion carriers, 11/37 (29.7%) were heterozygous carriers, and just 7/37 (18.9%) were wild-type individuals. Compared to the other CHE subgroups and the healthy control group (homozygous, 88/268 [32.83%]; heterozygous, 133/268 [49.63%]; and wild-type, 47/268 [17.54%]), the prevalence of LCE3C_LCE3B-del in these patients reached statistical significance (P = .03977), as did homozygous deletion carrier status (P = .01044 for other subtypes and P = .02695 for controls).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A deletion of LCE genes may promote the development of allergic contact dermatitis, which is a form of CHE involving delayed-type hypersensitivity.
authors: Department of Dermatology and Allergology, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany. sonja.molin@med.uni-muenchen.de
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Molin
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Vollmer
authors: E H
authors: EH
authors: Weiss
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Weisenseel
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Ruzicka
authors: J C
authors: JC
authors: Prinz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000483:Alleles; D002908:Chronic Disease; D055233:Cornified Envelope Proline-Rich Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D017449:Dermatitis, Allergic Contact / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D017353:Gene Deletion; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D006225:Hand / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D055233:Cornified Envelope Proline-Rich Proteins; C549748:LCE3B protein, human; C524768:LCE3C protein, human