Non-lethal junctional epidermolysis bullosa in a dog

We report a 4-year-old female mongrel dog with a history since birth of erosions and atrophic skin, with pigmentation and alopecia on the face, trunk and extremities, together with dystrophic nails. Light microscopy revealed subepidermal blisters with minimal inflammation and electron microscopy confirmed that the ultrastructural site of separation site was at the lamina lucida. Indirect immunofluorescence of the dog's skin detected the positive expression of laminin 5, BPAG2, integrin-alpha 6 and type VII collagen. These clinical, ultrastructural and immunohistochemical features suggested that the dog had a non-lethal subtype of junctional epidermolysis bullosa (JEB). This is the first confirmed case of non-lethal JEB in a dog and presents a possible candidate for an animal model of gene therapy. Further study should provide important information of the phenotype, pathophysiology and prognosis of non-lethal JEB in humans.