Desmosomes in disease: a guide for clinicians

Oral Dis. 2017 Mar;23(2):157-167. doi: 10.1111/odi.12527.

A Celentano ¹ ², N Cirillo ¹

Affiliations

1 Melbourne Dental School and Oral Health CRC, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.
2 Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences, Federico II University of Naples, Naples, Italy.

PMID: 27329525 DOI: 10.1111/odi.12527

Abstract

The large number of diseases occurring when desmosome constituents are impaired provides striking evidence for the key role of desmosomes in maintaining tissue integrity. A detailed understanding of the molecular alterations causing desmosomal dysfunction has, in turn, underpinned the development of novel diagnostic tools. This has salient clinical implications for dentists and oral medicine practitioners because the majority of desmosomal diseases affect the oral cavity. In the present article, we review the autoimmune, infectious, genetic, and neoplastic diseases that target the desmosome, with particular emphasis on clinical manifestations, diagnostic pathways, and relevant laboratory investigations.

Keywords

blistering diseases; desmosome; pemphigus.

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