Clinical, Histopathological and Immunological Characteristics of Exfoliative Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus in 25 German Short-Haired Pointers
August 2005
in “
Veterinary dermatology
”
exfoliative cutaneous lupus erythematosus alopecia hyperkeratosis lymphocytic interface dermatitis IgG deposition epidermal basement membrane follicular basement membrane antifollicular antibodies antisebaceous gland antibodies immunosuppressive therapy ECLE hair loss skin thickening immune response
TLDR A disease causing skin issues in young adult German short-haired pointers is hereditary, with most affected dogs not responding to treatment.
In 2005, a study involving 25 German short-haired pointers found that exfoliative cutaneous lupus erythematosus (ECLE) is a hereditary disease that primarily affects young adult dogs, presenting with symptoms such as scaling in all dogs and alopecia in 76% of the cases. The condition often progresses to generalized skin lesions in 52% of the dogs, with some experiencing systemic issues like pain, lameness, anemia, and thrombocytopenia. Histopathological analysis showed hyperkeratosis and lymphocytic interface dermatitis, while immunological tests revealed IgG deposition in the epidermal and follicular basement membrane in all and 41% of dogs, respectively. Circulating antifollicular and antisebaceous gland IgG antibodies were found in 57% of the dogs. The prognosis for ECLE was poor, with 85% of the dogs being euthanized due to non-responsiveness to immunosuppressive therapy or related complications, and only two dogs achieving remission. The study highlighted the immune response against the epidermal basement membrane and the need for further research into the immunopathogenesis of ECLE.
