Structural, enzymatic and molecular studies in a series of nonbullous congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma patients

Causative gene defects have not been demonstrated in the majority of nonbullous congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma (NBCIE) cases. The purpose of this study was to further elucidate the pathogenesis of NBCIE. Immunohistochemical and ultrastructural observations, transglutaminase activity assays and sequencing of TGM1 were performed in five patients from four NBCIE families. Transglutaminase 1 (TGase 1), involucrin and loricrin expression and in situ transglutaminase activity were present in all of the cases. Ultrastructurally, two cases out of five showed incomplete thickening of the cornified cell envelope (CCE) during keratinization and the other three exhibited abnormal lipid droplets in the cornified cells and malformed lamellar granules. No TGM1 mutation was found in any of the four families by direct sequence analysis. NBCIE cases with normal TGase 1 seemed to have two distinct patterns of abnormality, one with abnormal lipid droplets and malformed lamellar granules and the other with defective CCE formation.