Volume 44, Issue 6 pp. 287-291
Full Access

Restrictive dermopathy: a disorder of skin differentiation with abnormal integrin expression

John C. S. Dean

Corresponding Author

John C. S. Dean

Departments of Medical Genetics, University of Aberdeen Medical School, Harrow, Middlesex, UK

Department of Medical Genetics, Medical School, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB9 2ZD, Scotland, UKSearch for more papers by this author
E. S. Gray

E. S. Gray

Pathology, University of Aberdeen Medical School, Harrow, Middlesex, UK

Search for more papers by this author
K. N. Stewart

K. N. Stewart

Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Aberdeen Medical School, Harrow, Middlesex, UK

Search for more papers by this author
T. Brown

T. Brown

Departments of Medical Genetics, University of Aberdeen Medical School, Harrow, Middlesex, UK

Search for more papers by this author
D. J. Lloyd

D. J. Lloyd

Neunatal Unit, Aberdeen Maternity Hospital, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, Harrow, Middlesex, UK

Search for more papers by this author
N. C. Smith

N. C. Smith

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Aberdeen Medical School, Harrow, Middlesex, UK

Search for more papers by this author
F. M. Pope

F. M. Pope

Dermatology Research Group, Clinical Research Centre, Northwick Park Hospital, Harrow, Middlesex, UK

Search for more papers by this author
First published: December 1993
Citations: 19

Abstract

Dean JCS, Gray ES, Stewart KN, Brown T, Lloyd DJ, Smith NC, Pope FM. Restrictive dermopathy: a disorder of skin differentiation with abnormal integrin expression.

Clin Genet 1993: 44: 287–291. © Munksgaard, 1993

Clinical features and histological findings in two sibs who died from restrictive dermopathy in the neonatal period are described. Fibroblasts cultured from a skin biopsy from the second sib and fibroblasts from normal neonatal skin were studied using monoclonal antibodies to visualise integrin subunits by immunocytochemistry. Restrictive dermopathy fibroblasts displayed increased expression of the alpha-1 and alpha-2 subunits of integrin, those responsible for collagen binding. The increase was not matrix dependent. Integrins may play an important role in tissue differentiation, and our findings support the hypothesis that restrictive dermopathy is a disorder of skin differentiation.

The full text of this article hosted at iucr.org is unavailable due to technical difficulties.