A mutation in the FAM83G gene in dogs with hereditary footpad hyperkeratosis (HFH)

Hereditary footpad hyperkeratosis (HFH) represents a palmoplantar hyperkeratosis, which is inherited as a monogenic autosomal recessive trait in several dog breeds, such as e.g. Kromfohrländer and Irish Terriers. We performed genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in both breeds. In Kromfohrländer we obtained a single strong association signal on chromosome 5 (p(raw) = 1.0×10(-13)) using 13 HFH cases and 29 controls. The association signal replicated in an independent cohort of Irish Terriers with 10 cases and 21 controls (p(raw) = 6.9×10(-10)). The analysis of shared haplotypes among the combined Kromfohrländer and Irish Terrier cases defined a critical interval of 611 kb with 13 predicted genes. We re-sequenced the genome of one affected Kromfohrländer at 23.5× coverage. The comparison of the sequence data with 46 genomes of non-affected dogs from other breeds revealed a single private non-synonymous variant in the critical interval with respect to the reference genome assembly. The variant is a missense variant (c.155G>C) in the FAM83G gene encoding a protein with largely unknown function. It is predicted to change an evolutionary conserved arginine into a proline residue (p.R52P). We genotyped this variant in a larger cohort of dogs and found perfect association with the HFH phenotype. We further studied the clinical and histopathological alterations in the epidermis in vivo. Affected dogs show a moderate to severe orthokeratotic hyperplasia of the palmoplantar epidermis. Thus, our data provide the first evidence that FAM83G has an essential role for maintaining the integrity of the palmoplantar epidermis.

Whole-Genome Sequencing of a Canine Family Trio Reveals a FAM83G Variant Associated with Hereditary Footpad Hyperkeratosis

Over 250 Mendelian traits and disorders, caused by rare alleles have been mapped in the canine genome. Although each disease is rare in the dog as a species, they are collectively common and have major impact on canine health. With SNP-based genotyping arrays, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have proven to be a powerful method to map the genomic region of interest when 10-20 cases and 10-20 controls are available. However, to identify the genetic variant in associated regions, fine-mapping and targeted re-sequencing is required. Here we present a new approach using whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of a family trio without prior GWAS. As a proof-of-concept, we chose an autosomal recessive disease known as hereditary footpad hyperkeratosis (HFH) in Kromfohrl änder dogs. To our knowledge, this is the first time this family trio WGS-approach, has successfully been used to identify a genetic variant that perfectly segregates with a canine disorder. The sequencing of three Kromfohrl änder dogs from a family trio (an affected offspring and both its healthy parents) resulted in an average genome coverage of 9.2X per individual. After applying stringent filtering criteria for candidate causative coding variants, 527 single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and 15 indels were found to be homozygous in the affected offspring and heterozygous in the parents. Using the computer software packages ANNOVAR and SIFT to functionally annotate coding sequence differences and to predict their functional effect, resulted in seven candidate variants located in six different genes. Of these, only FAM83G:c155G>C (p.R52P) was found to be concordant in eight additional cases and 16 healthy Kromfohrl änder dogs.

Loss-of-function mutations in the cathepsin C gene result in periodontal disease and palmoplantar keratosis

Papillon-Lefevre syndrome, or keratosis palmoplantaris with periodontopathia (PLS, MIM 245000), is an autosomal recessive disorder that is mainly ascertained by dentists because of the severe periodontitis that afflicts patients(1,2). Both the deciduous and permanent dentitions are affected, resulting in premature tooth loss. Palmoplantar keratosis, varying from mild psoriasiform scaly skin to overt hyperkeratosis, typically develops within the first three years of life. Keratosis also affects other sites such as elbows and knees. Most PLS patients display both periodontitis and hyperkeratosis. some patients have only palmoplantar keratosis or periodontitis, and in rare individuals the periodontitis is mild and of late onset(3-6). The PLS locus has been mapped to chromosome 11q14-q21 (refs 7-9). Using homozygosity mapping in eight small consanguineous families, we have narrowed the candidate region to a 1.2-cM interval between D11S4082 and D11S931. The gene (CTSC) encoding the lysosomal protease cathepsin C (or dipeptidyl aminopeptidase I) lies within this interval. We defined the genomic structure of CTSC and found mutations in all eight families. In two of these families we used a functional assay to demonstrate an almost total loss of cathepsin C activity in PLS patients and reduced activity in obligate carriers.

A microbiological study of Papillon-Lefévre syndrome in two patients

AIM: To analyse the microflora of subgingival plaque from patients with Papillon-Lefévre syndrome (PLS), which is a very rare disease characterised by palmar-plantar hyperkeratosis with precocious periodontal destruction.

METHODS: Bacterial isolates were identified using a combination of commercial identification kits, traditional laboratory tests, and gas liquid chromatography. Some isolates were also subjected to partial 16S rDNA sequencing. Plaque samples were also assayed for the presence of Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans in a quantitative enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using monoclonal antibodies.

RESULTS: The culture results showed that most isolates were capnophilic and facultatively anaerobic species-mainly Capnocytophaga spp and Streptococcus spp. The latter included S. constellatus, S. oralis, and S. sanguis. Other facultative bacteria belonged to the genera gemella, kingella, leuconostoc, and stomatococcus. The aerobic bacteria isolated were species of neisseria and bacillus. Anaerobic species included Prevotella intermedia, P. melaninogenica, and P. nigrescens, as well as Peptostreptococcus spp. ELISA detected P gingivalis in one patient in all sites sampled, whereas A. actinomycetemcomitans was detected in only one site from the other patient. Prevotella intermedia was present in low numbers.

CONCLUSIONS: Patients with PLS have a very complex subgingival flora including recognised periodontal pathogens. However, no particular periodontopathogen is invariably associated with PLS.

Images in clinical urology. Nail of glans penis.

A 56-year-old man presented with a "nail" growing at the base of his glans penis. The tumor was locally excised, and microscopic examination revealed papillomatosis and hyperkeratosis of the malpighian epithelium, with a strong inflammatory reaction of the chorion and signs of local microinvasion, as well as the presence of well-differentiated squamous epithelial cells. The surgical margins were negative. The differential diagnosis was made between a benign papillomatous proliferation and verrucous carcinoma.

Arsenic contamination in Bangladesh groundwater: a major environmental and social disaster

In attempting to eliminate disease caused by drinking polluted surface water, millions of shallow surface wells were drilled into the Ganges delta alluvium in Bangladesh. The latest statistics indicate that 80% of Bangladesh and an estimated 40 million people are at risk of arsenic poisoning-related diseases because the ground water in these wells is contaminated with arsenic. The clinical manifestations of arsenic poisoning are myriad, and the correct diagnosis depends largely on awareness of the problem. Patients with melanosis, leuco-melanosis, keratosis, hyperkeratosis, dorsum, non-petting edema, gangrene and skin cancer have been identified. The present article reviews the current arsenic contamination of ground water, hydrological systems, groundwater potential and utilization and environmental pollution in Bangladesh. This paper concludes by clarifying the main actions required to ensure the sustainable development of water resources in Bangladesh

Dermatose responsiva à biotina em cão

Os transtornos da pele e dos pelos são parte importante na prática clínica de pequenos animais. Numerosos fatores nutricionais afetam a homeostase, a qualidade e o aspecto da pelagem. As vitaminas do complexo B incluem compostos hidrossolúveis necessários como coenzimas em diversas funções celulares envolvidas no metabolismo energético e na síntese tecidual. A biotina, em especial, é necessária nas reações de carboxilação, participando da síntese de ácidos graxos, aminoácidos e purinas pelo tecido epitelial. Uma cadela com quadro de cistite recorrente e tumor venéreo transmissível foi tratada com antibioticoterapia prolongada e quimioterapia. Após alguns meses de tratamento, foram observadas lesões no plano nasal e nos coxins plantar e palmar, caracterizadas por hiperceratose, espessamento, fissuras, sangramento e inflamação. O paciente recebeu suplementação de 15mg de biotina por via oral (equivalente a 1,4mg kg-1 de peso corporal), uma vez por dia, durante 60 dias, havendo importante regressão das lesões. Sugere-se que, sob antibioticoterapia e doença, a síntese intestinal de biotina possa não ter sido suficiente, sendo necessária sua suplementação.

Effects to exposure of tobacco smoke and alcohol on the tongue and pharynx of rats

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Vocal Polyps: Clinical, Morphological, and Immunohistochemical Aspects

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Clinical and histopathological aspects of the insect bite hypersensitivity in horses

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Effects of Cigarette Smoke and Ethanol Intake on Mouse Oesophageal Mucosa Changes Induced by Dietary Zinc Deficiency and Deoxycholic Acid Supplementation

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Clinical presentation of tuberculoid leprosy in an epidermodysplasia verruciformis patient

Epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV) is triggered by a variety of mechanisms that at least partly include genetic background. We present a Brazilian man with a 30-year history of flat, wart-like lesions with clinical, histopathological, and evolutive aspects consistent with papillomavirus (HPV)-associated EV. Histological analysis of the wart lesions showed epidermis with hyperkeratosis, regular acanthosis, hypergranulosis, and cells with abundant basophilic cytoplasm. Moreover, a perivascular lymphocytic infiltrate was found in the superficial dermis, consistent with a viral wart. Type-2-HPV DNA was detected in various fragments of skin-wart lesions using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Two years after the EV diagnosis, the patient presented with an anesthetic well-demarcated, erythematous and mildly scaly plaque on his right forearm. A histopathological analysis of this lesion demonstrated the presence of a compact tuberculoid granuloma. Ziehl-Neelsen staining demonstrated the presence of rare acid-fast bacilli and confirmed the tuberculoid leprosy diagnosis. The patient's Mitsuda Intradermal Reaction was positive. To elucidate the possible mechanism involved in this case of EV, we genotyped the HLA genes of this patient. DQB genotyping showed the polymorphic HLA alleles DQB1*0301 and 0501. The patient was treated with a paucibacillary multidrug therapy scheme, and the disease was cured in six months. This report describes an EV patient with an M. leprae infection, confirming that tuberculoid leprosy patients possess a relatively specific and efficient cell-mediated immunity against the bacillus and, therefore, localized forms of the disease. Moreover, we show the possible involvement of the polymorphic HLA alleles DQB1*0301 and 0501 in EV induction mechanisms.

Digital dermatitis of the accessory digits of dairy cows

Esse estudo caracteriza lesões de dermatite digital (DD) nos dígitos acessórios de vacas leiteiras, além de apresentar a terapia aplicada. Foram utilizados 15 bovinos leiteiros da raça Holandês com DD nos dígitos acessórios dos membros pélvicos. Os animais eram provenientes de quatro fazendas leiteiras com histórico prévio de dermatite digital (DD). Todos os quinze animais foram tratados da mesma forma: após excisão das lesões e sutura das feridas cutâneas, aplicou-se oxitetraciclina pó topicamente sob bandagem e oxitetraciclina (20mg/kg) de longa ação, via intramuscular. Obtiveram-se amostras de tecidos para histopatologia, inclusive por microscopia eletrônica de transmissão (MET). Observou-se cicatrização em todos os animais após 15 dias do procedimento cirúrgico. A maioria das lesões macroscópicas foram projeções papilomatosas ou em forma de verrugas. Os achados histopatológicos de todas as amostras revelaram hiperplasia da epiderme com hiperceratose, inúmeras mitoses no estrato basal, com invasões alongadas em forma de rede na derme superficial e intermediária. A MET evidenciou organismos com formas longas, afiladas e espiraladas, presumivelmente espiroquetas. Tanto as características morfológicas, quanto a resposta à terapia das lesões foram comparáveis às descritas para DD.

Freqüência de Candida sp. em biópsias de lesões da mucosa bucal

O objetivo desse trabalho foi determinar a freqüência da infecção por Candida sp. em biópsias de lesões da mucosa bucal, assim como associar a presença de Candida sp. com lesões malignas e lesões com vários graus de displasia. Foram utilizadas 832 biópsias da mucosa bucal, previamente incluídas em parafinas, cujos blocos foram obtidos dos arquivos da Disciplina de Patologia da Faculdade de Odontologia de Araraquara da UNESP, no período entre 1990-2001. Três cortes seqüenciais foram corados pelo ácido periódico de Schiff (PAS). do total de biópsias 27,2% foram PAS positivas, dessas 83,25% eram provenientes de pacientes do sexo masculino. Houve associação positiva entre infecção com displasia epitelial leve, moderada, severa, carcinoma espinocelular e hiperqueratose (p < 0,05). Não houve associação entre hiperplasia fibrosa inflamatória, líquen plano, granuloma piogênico (p < 0,05) com infecções fúngicas. A língua foi o sítio mais acometido por infecções em relação a outros sítios (p < 0,05). A partir dos dados quantitativos, concluiu-se que houve correlação positiva de infecção por fungos, lesões displásicas e carcinoma, sendo mais freqüente no sexo masculino. Estes dados não permitem inferir se o fungo causa displasia epitelial e carcinoma, mas confirmam a maior presença de Candida nessas lesões.

Observações clínicas e laboratoriais em cães com cinomose nervosa

Em 81 cães com sinais clínicos, lesões histológicas e corpúsculos de inclusão no sistema nervoso central característicos de cinomose nervosa foi constatada ocorrência freqüente de: alteração das reações posturais (87,65%), diminuição da secreção lacrimal (83,95%), presença de mioclonias (75,30%), paresias (69,12%), conjuntivite (56,79%), corioretinite/ hiperqueratose naso-digital (51,85%), linfopenia (51,85%), anemia (48,05%), principalmente microcítica hipocrômica, e discretas alterações liquóricas caracterizadas por aumento de proteínas totais (77,33%) e pleocitose linfocítica (50,72%). A presença de corpúsculos de Lenz em tecidos extraneurais oscilou entre 30 e 45 %, com maior freqüência em linfonodos. Enquanto outras anormalidades clínicas, neurológicas e laboratoriais não tiveram freqüência expressiva para dar apoio ao diagnóstico, o incorreto programa de vacinação foi uma constante.