title: Spontaneous atopic dermatitis-like symptoms in a/a ma ft/ma ft/J flaky tail mice appear early after birth.
abstract: Loss-of-function mutations in human profilaggrin gene have been identified as the cause of ichthyosis vulgaris (IV), and as a major predisposition factor for atopic dermatitis (AD). Similarly, flaky tail (a/a ma ft/ma ft/J) mice were described as a model for IV, and shown to be predisposed to eczema. The aim of this study was to correlate the flaky tail mouse phenotype with human IV and AD, in order to dissect early molecular events leading to atopic dermatitis in mice and men, suffering from filaggrin deficiency. Thus, 5-days old flaky tail pups were analyzed histologically, expression of cytokines was measured in skin and signaling pathways were investigated by protein analysis. Human biopsies of IV and AD patients were analyzed histologically and by real time PCR assays. Our data show acanthosis and hyperproliferation in flaky tail epidermis, associated with increased IL1β and thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) expression, and Th2-polarization. Consequently, NFκB and Stat pathways were activated, and IL6 mRNA levels were increased. Further, quantitative analysis of late epidermal differentiation markers revealed increased Small proline-rich protein 2A (Sprr2a) synthesis. Th2-polarization and Sprr2a increase may result from high TSLP expression, as shown after analysis of 5-days old K14-TSLP tg mouse skin biopsies. Our findings in the flaky tail mouse correlate with data obtained from patient biopsies of AD, but not IV. We propose that proinflammatory cytokines are responsible for acanthosis in flaky tail epidermis, and together with the Th2-derived cytokines lead to morphological changes. Accordingly, the a/a ma ft/ma ft/J mouse model can be used as an appropriate model to study early AD onset associated with profilaggrin deficiency.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cutaneous Biology, Service of Dermatology and Venereology, Beaumont Hospital CHUV, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Magdalini
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kypriotou
authors.forename: Cloé
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Boéchat
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huber
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hohl
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000378:metabolism; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D000091344:Filaggrin Proteins; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D016112:Ichthyosis Vulgaris / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D053553:Keratin-6 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D037181:Lectins, C-Type / Q000378:metabolism; D037241:Mannose-Binding Lectins / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009154:Mutation; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D050791:STAT Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000954:Antigens, Surface; C498497:Cd207 protein, mouse; D016207:Cytokines; C000717249:FLG protein, human; D000091344:Filaggrin Proteins; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; D053553:Keratin-6; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D037241:Mannose-Binding Lectins; D016328:NF-kappa B; D050791:STAT Transcription Factors