Epidermal differentiation complex yields a secret: mutations in the cornification protein filaggrin underlie ichthyosis vulgaris.

Ichthyosis vulgaris (IV), characterized by mild scaling on limbs and lower abdomen, has an incidence of 1 in 250. Smith, McLean, and colleagues demonstrate that common mutations in filaggrin underlie IV. Filaggrin aggregates keratin intermediate filaments and is cross-linked into the cornified envelope to form the epidermal barrier. These findings reinforce the importance of the epidermal barrier in pathogenesis of skin diseases.