Disaccharide analysis of skin glycosaminoglycans in atrophoderma of Pasiniand Pierini

There are divergent opinions as to whether atrophoderma of Pasini and Pieri ni (APP) is a nosologic entity or a primary atrophic morphoea. In this stud y, we used high performance liquid chromatography to analyse the skin disac charide contents of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) in two patients with APP and co mpared the results with those from a typical atrophic morphoea patient. Per ilesional uninvolved skin was used as a control in each patient. In the atr ophic phase morphoea, both the total amount of disaccharide per skin punch- biopsy and the amount of Delta Di-4S(DS) - the main disaccharide unit of de rmatan sulphate - per mg dry weight were increased. These changes were cons istent with sclerotic phase morphoea. In contrast, the total amount of disa ccharide per skin punch-biopsy was decreased and the amount of Delta Di-4S( DS) per mg dry weight was decreased or unchanged in APP. Our results sugges t that GAG metabolism in APP may be unique and quite different from that in morphoea.