Association of Gap Junction Beta 2 and Transglutaminase 1 Gene Expression with Canine Atopic Dermatitis

Abstract

Atopic dermatitis is a common pruritic inflammatory skin disease in humans and dogs. Cell junction and cornified envelope are groups of proteins that are crucial for the formation and stability of the skin barrier. The purpose of this study was to investigate gene expression in cell junction and cornified envelope groups in canine atopic dermatitis (CAD) in small dog breeds. Skin biopsy was performed from 10 lesional CAD, 9 non-lesional CAD cases and 11 normal dogs and subjected to quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Several cell junction genes were evaluated, including claudin-1, occludin, zonula occludens-1 and -2, zonula occludens-1-associated nucleic acid binding protein, cingulin, gap junction beta 2 and e-cadherin together with transglutaminase 1, a cross-linker of the cornified envelope. An upregulation of gap junction beta 2 and transglutaminase 1 was significantly observed in the lesional skin. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates the expression of gap junction beta 2 and transglutaminase 1 in CAD. This is the first report on the association of cell junction and transglutaminase 1 genes with CAD.