Is ichthyosis contagious?

Ichthyosis is a very common skin disease. This disease is not contagious, but there is a high chance of inheritance. If one of the parents has ichthyosis, the child’s chance of getting the disease will greatly increase. It is necessary to seek timely treatment and take good care of diet and lifestyle.

1. Is ichthyosis contagious?

Ichthyosis is a hereditary disease and is not contagious! Yes, ichthyosis is a hereditary skin disease and is not contagious. Therefore, once you find that you are sick, you should go to a regular hospital for timely treatment and do not delay the treatment, which will cause the condition to become more serious. If patients with ichthyosis insist on taking correct medications, do a good job of daily scientific care, and actively cooperate with the doctor's treatment, recovery will come.

2. Causes

1. Epidermolytic hyperkeratotic ichthyosis (15%):

It is an autosomal dominant genetic disease. The pathogenic genes are related to mutations in the keratin 1 (K1) and keratin 10 (K10) genes, which lead to defects in the synthesis or degradation of keratin, affecting the normal arrangement and function of tension filaments in basal keratinocytes, and thus causing abnormal keratinization and epidermal loosening.

2. Lamellar ichthyosis (15%):

It is an autosomal recessive inheritance. The gene is located at multiple sites, including 2q33-35, 19p12-q12, and 14q11. The TGM1 gene undergoes mutation, deletion, or insertion, resulting in defects in cell adhesion and cell envelope protein cross-linking.

3. Ichthyosis vulgaris (20%):

It is an autosomal dominant genetic disease with incomplete penetrance. It is currently believed that this is caused by mRNA instability and defects in post-transcriptional control mechanisms.

4. Sex-linked recessive ichthyosis (15%):

It is an X-chromosome-linked recessive inheritance. The absence or mutation of the steroid sulfatase gene (STS) causes the accumulation of cholesterol sulfate, which causes the stratum corneum cells to be tightly bound and unable to fall off normally, resulting in the formation of scales.

5. Congenital non-bullous ichthyosis-like erythroderma (15%):

It is an autosomal recessive inheritance caused by mutations in multiple genes such as the lipoxygenase 12 (R) (ALOX12B) gene and the lipoxygenase 3 (ALOXE3) gene.

6. Tortuous linear ichthyosis (10%):

It is an autosomal recessive genetic disease caused by mutations in the serine protease inhibitor Kazal type 5 (SPINK5) gene on chromosome 5p32.