Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) is an inherited systemic disease of connective tissue primarily affecting the skin, retina, and cardiovascular system. It is characterised pathologically by elastic fibre mineralisation and fragmentation (so called "elastorrhexia"), and clinically by high heterogeneity in age of onset and the extent and severity of organ system involvement. PXE was recently associated with mutations in the ABCC6 (ATP binding cassette subtype C number 6) gene. At least one ABCC6 mutation is found in about 80% of patients. These mutations are identifiable in most of the 31 ABCC6 exons and consist of missense, nonsense, frameshift mutations, or large deletions. No correlation between the nature or location of the mutations and phenotype severity has yet been established. Recent findings support exclusive recessive inheritance. The proposed prevalence of PXE is 1/25 000, but this is probably an underestimate. ABCC6 encodes the protein ABCC6 (also known as MRP6), a member of the large ATP dependent transmembrane transporter family that is expressed predominantly in the liver and kidneys, and only to a lesser extent in tissues affected by PXE. The physiological substrates of ABCC6 remain to be determined, but the current hypothesis is that PXE should be considered to be a metabolic disease with undetermined circulating molecules interacting with the synthesis, turnover, or maintenance of elastic fibres.

https://jmg.bmj.com/content/jmedgenet/42/12/881.full.pdf

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum: a clinical, pathophysiological and genetic update including 11 novel ABCC6 mutations

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum: genetics, clinical manifestations and therapeutic approaches.

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) is a systemic disorder affecting elastic tissues most markedly in skin, retina, and blood vessels. It is caused by mutations in the ABCC6 gene and is transmitted in an autosomal recessive fashion. In 1994 a new classification system for PXE was published as the result of a consensus conference. Since then the ABCC6 gene has been discovered. We propose that there is a need for a classification system incorporating all relevant systemic symptoms and signs, based on standardized clinical, histological, and molecular biological examination techniques. We re-evaluated the histopathologic PXE signs and propose a classification system with unambiguous criteria leading to a consistent diagnosis of definitive, probable, or possible PXE world-wide. We put this proposed classification forward to encourage further debate on the diagnosis of this multi-organ disorder.

Proposal for updating the pseudoxanthoma elasticum classification system and a review of the clinical findings

Pseudoxantoma elasticum (PXE), also known as Groenblad-Strandberg syndrome, is a rare heritable disease with an estimated prevalence of 1:50,000 in the general population. PXE is considered a prototype of multisystem ectopic mineralization disorders and it is characterized by aberrant mineralization of soft connective tissue with degeneration of the elastic fibers, involving primarily the eyes, the cardiovascular system, and the skin. Cutaneous lesions consist of small, asymptomatic, yellowish papules or larger coalescent plaques, typically located on the neck and the flexural areas. PXE is caused by mutations in the ABCC6 (ATP-binding cassette subfamily C member 6) gene that encodes a transmembrane ATP binding efflux transporter, normally expressed in the liver and the kidney; however, the exact mechanism of ectopic mineralization remains largely unknown. The histological examination of cutaneous lesions, revealing accumulation of pleomorphic elastic structures in middermis, is essential for the definitive diagnosis of PXE, excluding PXE-like conditions. PXE is currently an intractable disease; although the cutaneous findings primarily present a cosmetic problem, they signify the risk for development of ocular and cardiovascular complications associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this review is to present a comprehensive overview of this rare form of hereditary connective tissue disorders, focus on the pathogenesis, the clinical manifestation, and the differential diagnosis of PXE. Emphasis is also placed on the management of cutaneous lesions and treatment perspectives of PXE.

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum and skin: Clinical manifestations, histopathology, pathomechanism, perspectives of treatment

Mutation spectrum in the ABCC6 gene and genotype-phenotype correlations in a French cohort with pseudoxanthoma elasticum.

Objective— Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) is an autosomal recessive connective tissue disorder with involvement of the skin, the retina, and the cardiovascular system. Cardiovascular involvement is mainly characterized by mineralization and fragmentation of elastic fibers of blood vessels and premature atherosclerosis. We conducted an ultrasound study to investigate the cardiovascular phenotype and to propose recommendations for the management of patients with PXE and heterozygous ABCC6 mutation carriers. Approach and Results— Thirty-two patients, 23 carriers, and 28 healthy volunteers underwent cardiac and vascular ultrasound studies. Cardiac imaging revealed left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in patients with PXE with a significantly prolonged deceleration time and lower septal early diastolic velocities of the mitral annulus compared with controls. Carriers also demonstrated significantly prolonged deceleration time. Carotid-to-femoral pulse wave velocity was significantly increased in patients with PXE when compared with carriers and controls. Vascular imaging revealed a high prevalence of peripheral artery disease in both patients and carriers and a significantly higher carotid intima-media thickness compared with controls. Conclusions— The results of this study clearly demonstrate impaired left ventricular diastolic function, impairment of the elastic properties of the aorta, and a high prevalence of peripheral artery disease in patients with PXE. Carriers also seem to exhibit a cardiovascular phenotype with mainly mild diastolic dysfunction and accelerated atherosclerosis. Increased awareness for cardiovascular events in both patients and heterozygous carriers is warranted.

Characterization of Cardiovascular Involvement in Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum Families

Occasionally calcifications in abdominal organs, breasts and testicles have been reported in pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) patients In the present study, an ultrasound evaluation was performed of the abdomen and - in male patients - of the testicles in 17 PXE patients and 17 heterozygous carriers Blood samples were taken to evaluate calcium load, liver and kidney function Calcifications in liver, kidneys and spleen were detected in 59% of the patients and in 235% of healthy carriers Parameters of kidney and liver function were normal in both groups, suggesting that the calcifications have no direct effect on organ function Testicular ultrasound revealed parenchymous calcifications in all males investigated Widespread, small hyperechogenic foci resembling testicular microlithiasis were seen In some carriers, focal calcifications were identified The current data suggest that visceral and testicular calcifications are part of the phenotype of PXE patients Their presence in some of the healthy carriers are suggestive of subclinical manifestations in these relatives The natural history and long-term effects of the parenchymal calcifications remain to be elucidated As testicular microlithiasis may be associated with a higher risk for malignancy, regular clinical and ultrasound follow-up seems indicated in these patients

Visceral and testicular calcifications as part of the phenotype in pseudoxanthoma elasticum: ultrasound findings in Belgian patients and healthy carriers.

A multidisciplinary survey of the clinical and genetic characteristics of 26 Belgian and 32 Afrikaner families with biopsy-proven pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) was undertaken. The major PXE phenotype emerging from this study is very similar in both patient groups and is characterized by severe ophthalmologic manifestations with variable, mild cutaneous and vascular symptoms. In the families with more than one affected relative, segregation analysis is compatible with autosomal recessive inheritance in both groups. It is suggested that the PXE phenotype of these Belgian and Afrikaner patients is distinct from the other recognized PXE subtypes. The phenotypic resemblance in both patient groups raises the question whether a similar genetic mechanism is involved.

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum: Similar autosomal recessive subtype in Belgian and Afrikaner families

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Characterization of Cardiovascular Involvement in Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum Families

Visceral and testicular calcifications as part of the phenotype in pseudoxanthoma elasticum: ultrasound findings in Belgian patients and healthy carriers.

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum: Similar autosomal recessive subtype in Belgian and Afrikaner families