Epidermolysis bullosa in animals: a review.

Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a hereditary mechanobullous disease of animals and humans, characterized by an extreme fragility of the skin and mucous membranes. The main feature of EB in humans and animals is the formation of blisters and erosions in response to minor mechanical trauma. Epidermolysis bullosa is caused by mutations in the genes that code for structural proteins of the cytoskeleton of the basal keratinocytes or of the basement membrane zone. Based on the ultrastructural levels of tissue separation, EB is divided into the following three broad categories: epidermolysis bullosa simplex, junctional epidermolysis bullosa and dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa. Human types of EB are divided into several subtypes based on their ultrastructural changes and the mode of inheritance; subtypes are not fully established in animals. In humans, it is estimated that EB affects one in 17,000 live births; the frequency of EB in different animals species is not known. In all animal species, except in buffalo with epidermolysis bullosa simplex, multifocal ulcers are observed on the gums, hard and soft palates, mucosa of the lips, cheek mucosa and dorsum of the tongue. Dystrophic or absent nails, a frequent sign seen in human patients with EB, corresponds to the deformities and sloughing of the hooves in ungulates and to dystrophy or atrophy of the claws in dogs and cats. This review covers aspects of the molecular biology, diagnosis, classification, clinical signs and pathology of EB reported in animals.

Epidermólise bolhosa congênita em cão – relato de caso

A epidermólise bolhosa é uma doença de etiologia variável mecanobolhosas que afetam seres humanos, cães e gatos. O objetivo do presente é relatar um caso da citada patologia em um canino atendido no Hospital veterinário da Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia.

Epidermólise bolhosa congênita em cão relato de caso

A epidermólise bolhosa é uma doença de etiologia variável mecanobolhosas que afetam seres humanos, cães e gatos. O objetivo do presente é relatar um caso da citada patologia em um canino atendido no Hospital veterinário da Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia. (AU)

Epidermólise bolhosa em animais

Esta tese inclui três artigos sobre epidermólise bolhosa (EB) em animais, uma doença hereditária, cuja principal característica é a formação de bolhas e erosões na pele e mucosas em resposta ao mínimo trauma. O primeiro capítulo é um artigo de revisão que abrange o diagnóstico, a classificação, a epidemiologia, o modo de herança, a clínica, a patologia e as alterações ultraestruturais e moleculares da EB em animais. Baseado no nível ultraestrutural de separação do tecido, a EB é dividida em três tipos: simples, juncional e distrófica. Em humanos estima-se que a EB afeta 1 em 17.000 nascidos vivos, mas em animais a frequência de EB não é estimada. Os achados clínicos e patológicos são semelhantes em todos os tipos de EB, variando apenas na intensidade. A EB é causada por mutações nos genes que expressam as proteínas do citoesqueleto dos queratinócitos ou da zona da membrana basal (ZMB). No segundo capítulo foram descritos em caprinos os achados clínicos, histopatológicos e ultraestruturais da EB distrófica transmitida por um gene autossômico recessivo. Os caprinos apresentaram exungulação, erosões, crostas e cicatrizes na pele e úlceras na cavidade oral. Histologicamente, a pele apresentava uma separação subepidérmica preenchida com fluido eosinofílico claro, restos celulares ou neutrófilos. Ultraestruturalmente, o local de separação foi abaixo da lâmina densa na ZMB. Na pele com formação de bolhas e na pele não envolvida clinicamente, a lâmina basal foi preservada, mas as fibrilas de ancoragem eram escassas e rudimentares. Sugere-se que a doença é similar a EB distrófica recessiva generalizada e severa observada em humanos. No terceiro capítulo é descrito um caso de EB em um bezerro. [...] Os hemidesmossomos apresentavam-se pequenos, pobremente definidos e sem demarcação clara. Os achados clínicos, histológicos e ultraestruturais encontrados no bezerro são característicos da EB juncional.

This thesis includes three papers on epidermolysis bullosa (EB) in animals, which is an hereditary disease, characterized by the formation of blisters and erosions on the skin and mucous in response to minor mechanical trauma. The first paper reviews the diagnosis, classification, epidemiology, mode of inheritance, clinical, pathology, and ultrastructural and molecular changes of EB reported in animals. Based on the ultrastructural level of tissue separations EB is divided into three types: simplex, junctional, and dystrophic. In humans it is estimated that EB affect 1 in 17000 live births, but in animal the frequency of EB is not estimated. The clinical and pathological findings are similar in all types of EB, varying only in intensity. EB is due to mutations in genes that express the protein constituent the cytoskeleton of the basal keratinocytes or of the basement membrane zone (BMZ). In the second paper, clinical, histopathological, and ultrastructural findings of dystrophic EB in goats transmitted by an autosomal recessive gene are reported. The goats presented with exungulation, erosions, crusts and scars on the skin and ulcers in the oral cavity. Histologically, the skin showed subepidermal separation, with clefts filled with clear eosinophilic fluid, cellular debris or neutrophils. Ultrastructurally, the site of blister formation was the sub-lamina densa in the BMZ. In skin with blister formation and in clinically uninvolved skin, the basal lamina was preserved, but the anchoring fibrils were scarce and rudimentary. It is suggested that the disease is similar to human severe generalized recessive dystrophic EB. In the third paper, a case of EB in a calf is reported. It was presented exungulation of all hooves, widespread erosions and crusts on the skin, and ulcers in the oral cavity. [...] The hemidesmosomes were poorly defined and small. The clinical, histological and ultrastructural findings are characteristic of junctional EB.

Hereditary suprabasilar acantholytic mechanobullous dermatosis in buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis).

A skin disease characterized by trauma-induced sloughing of haired skin, hooves, and horns is described in four calves from a herd of Murrah buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) in Brazil. Affected calves were detected shortly after birth by the presence of lesions affecting the distal extremities, the scapular and gluteal regions, and the tip of the tail. On histologic evaluation of affected skin, the lesions were characterized by suprabasilar vesicles and acantholysis affecting the epidermis and outer root sheath of the hair follicle infundibulum. The basal cell layer was intact and appeared as a single layer of cuboidal cells attached to the dermis. Ultrastructurally, the region between the stratum basale and the lower stratum spinosum had widened intercellular spaces with loss of desmosomal attachments, which led to the suprabasilar separation. The disease appears to be inherited as an autosomal recessive trait.