Canine inherited junctional epidermolysis bullosa: Molecular diagnosis for healty carrier identification

Canine Junctional Epidermolysis Bullosa (JEB) is an inherited autosomal recessive disease which expression is characterized by skin blistering in different body regions. The disease is clinically characterized by a bullous and ulcerative dermatitis. The disease causes a general fragility of the skin leading to the formation of the spontaneous or traumatically induced blisters and ulcers on footpads, ear surface, tail tips and pressure points on the distal limbs. The German Shorthaired Pointer (Kurzhaar) is predisposed. The authors describe an allele-specific PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) for the molecular detection of the genetic mutation in the laminin 5 subunit gene (LAMA 3) which allows the identification of healthy carriers of JEB.