| Abstract: | ![]()
In order to study the pathogenetic role of anti-basement membrane zone antibodies (BMZ-Ab) in bullous pemphigoid (BP), parenteral transfer of serum, heat inactivated serum, blister fluid, or IgG from three patients with BP into neonatal mice was carried out. BP-like lesions developed in 6 of 8 mice receiving the serum from one of the patients. However, no lesions were observed in 100 other mice that were given serum, blister fluid or IgG from the other two patients or three healthy controls. Analysis of the characteristics of these injected materials revealed that, for induction of the BP-like lesions in neonatal mice, it is necessary that both complement-fixing BMZ-Ab and components of complement are present. The role of inflammatory cells in the pathogenesis of BP could not be determined by the present experiments. |
