Involucrin expression in keratinization disorders of the skin--a preliminary study

Br J Dermatol. 1987 Oct;117(4):479-86. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.1987.tb04928.x.

Abstract

We have studied the expression of involucrin in a variety of keratinization disorders, mostly of genetic origin using an avidin-biotin-peroxidase technique. In normal human epidermis 25% of the living epidermis was labelled. The diseases studied fell into two groups. Diseases with greatly increased involucrin staining including collodion baby (38%), Darier's disease (49%), Flegel's disease (56%), erythrokeratoderma variabilis (60%), epidermal naevus with epidermolytic hyperkeratosis (45%) and congenital bullous (58%) and non-bullous (44%) ichythyosiform erythroderma; and diseases with normal or slightly increased staining, including ichthyosis vulgaris (27%), X-linked ichthyosis (25%), confluent and reticulate papillomatosis (27%) and simple epidermal naevus (28%). These results demonstrate that involucrin expression is altered in some keratinization disorders and suggest that in such conditions cellular functions other than keratin metabolism are also affected.

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Keratosis / metabolism*
  • Keratosis / pathology
  • Protein Precursors / metabolism*
  • Skin / metabolism
  • Skin / pathology

Substances

  • Protein Precursors
  • involucrin