Junctional epidermolysis bullosa of late onset explained by mutations in COL17A1

Junctional epidermolysis bullosa of late onset (JEB-lo) is a rare disease characterized by blistering of primarily the hands and feet starting in childhood. The pathogenesis remains unclear.

To clarify the pathogenesis of JEB-lo.

Two patients with JEB-lo, a brother and a sister, were examined using electron microscopy (EM), immunofluorescence (IF) antigen mapping and molecular analysis.

We found subtle changes in IF antigen mapping and EM. The most remarkable changes were loss of the apical-lateral staining of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against type XVII collagen (Col17), and a broadened distribution of mAb staining against the ectodomain of Col17, laminin-332 and type VII collagen. Mutation analysis of COL17A1, encoding Col17, showed a compound heterozygosity for a novel mutation c.1992_1995delGGGT and the known mutation c.3908G>A in both patients. The deletion c.1992_1995delGGGT results in a premature termination codon and mRNA decay, leaving the patients functionally hemizygous for the missense mutation c.3908G>A (p.R1303Q) in the noncollagenous 4 domain of Col17.

JEB-lo is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in COL17A1, and subtle aberrations in EM and IF antigen mapping are clues to diagnosis.