Successful treatment of leukaemia cutis with cladribine in a patient with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia

Cutaneous presentation of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (B-CLL) is uncommon, and the influence of skin changes on B-CLL prognosis is unclear. We report a patient with B-CLL Rai II, with multiple nodular skin infiltrations on the trunk, upper arms and thighs as well as constitutional symptoms, who was successfully treated with cladribine. The peripheral blood (PB) lymphocytes were CD19, CD20, CD23 and CD5 positive, which confirmed the diagnosis of B-CLL. Skin biopsy of one of the lesions showed an intense infiltrate composed of small lymphocytes with no epidermotropism. These cells also showed the expression of CD19, CD20, CD23 and CD5 antigens similar to those presented on PB lymphocytes. Polymerase chain reaction performed on bone marrow lymphocytes and a lesional skin biopsy using consensus primers for immunoglobulin heavy-chain genes also showed the same monoclonal population of B lymphocytes both in the bone marrow and in the skin. The patient received four courses of cladribine 0.12 mg kg-1 daily as a 2-h infusion for five consecutive days. The courses were repeated at monthly intervals. The lymphocytosis gradually decreased and the PB count normalized after three courses. At the same time, a significant decrease in the cutaneous symptoms was observed. The patient became free of skin tumours after the fourth course of cladribine; only slight discoloration at the previous sites of cutaneous infiltration remained. There was no relapse of leukaemia cutis during a further 7 months of observation.     

Paraneoplastic pemphigus. A report of two cases associated with chronic B-cell lymphocytic leukaemia

Paraneoplastic pemphigus (PNP) is an autoimmune blistering and erosive mucocutaneous disease associated with neoplasia. Clinical manifestations are polymorphous, and include erythema, bullae, erythema multiforme-like lesions and severe mucous membrane involvement. PNP manifesting as lichenoid dermatitis has recently been observed. We describe two Italian men with fatal PNP featuring typical PNP autoantigens associated with chronic B-cell lymphocytic leukaemia. The first patient presented with an extensive blistering eruption, several erythema multiforme-like lesions and severe mucosal involvement. The second patient presented with a lichenoid dermatitis, then developed bullae, and died with an erythrodermic and exfoliative dermatosis resembling pemphigus foliaceus. Our patients represent two Italian cases of well-documented PNP. In patient 2, the sequence of clinical presentations was unique, and strongly supports the hypothesis of epitope spreading through chronic lichenoid inflammation of the dermo-epidermal junction exposing new self antigens, leading to the humoral response characteristic of PNP.     

Malignancies in bullous pemphigoid: A controversial association

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is an autoimmune subepidermal blistering disorder that has been reported to be associated with malignancies. Some authors described several cases of pemphigoid associated with malignancies (PAM); however, the evidence of this correlation still remains controversial. Several theories have been postulated to explain the relationship between malignant neoplasms and BP; the main theory suggests that antibodies directed against tumor‐specific antigens of malignant cells may cross‐react with antigens (like BP antigens) in the basement membrane zone leading to the formation of blisters. We performed an extensive review of the English published work focusing on the epidemiology, the pathogenetic theories and the clinical and histological aspects of the disease. We identified 40 cases of PAM: of these, seven cases were associated with hematological malignancies and 33 with solid tumors. Physicians should be aware of the existence of PAM and we suggest an oncological screening in early‐onset pemphigoid, in patients with a former oncological history, in those with signs and symptoms that could be related to a neoplasm and in BP refractory to common immunosuppressive therapy.     

Two cases of merkel cell tumour arising in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) has been associated with an increased incidence of second neoplasms, especially skin cancers such as basal and squamous cell carcinomas. No association with the rarer skin cancer, the Merkel cell tumour (MCT), has previously been reported. Two patients with MCT had a previous diagnosis of CLL. MCT is an aggressive skin cancer, as up to 45% of patients have lymph node involvement at presentation and 5-year disease-free survival is as low as 30%. It is most commonly found on sun-exposed areas of the body, and ultraviolet radiation together with drug-induced or CLL-induced immunosuppression may be the underlying mechanism in the observed relationship between CLL and other skin cancers.     

Plectin, an unusual target antigen in bullous pemphigoid

BACKGROUND: Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is a blistering disease associated with autoantibodies directed against two components of hemidesmosomes, BP180 and BP230. OBJECTIVES: To assess whether BP patients have autoantibodies targeting plectin, another hemidesmosomal component showing extensive homology to BP230. METHODS: Examination of sera from 16 patients with BP, using immunoprecipitation studies followed by immunoblotting. RESULTS: Serum of one of the 16 (6%) patients with BP contain autoantibodies binding to plectin, while no reactivity was found with sera from three control subjects. Sera from all 16 BP patients immunoprecipitated BP230 from extracts of biosynthetically radiolabelled human keratinocytes. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that sera from BP patients might contain autoantibodies binding to plectin. Although this protein and BP230 are closely sequence-related, the occurrence of autoantibodies binding to plectin is a rare phenomenon in BP.     

Trichophytic granuloma associated with bullous pemphigoid

A 69-year-old Japanese man developed multiple nodular granulomatous cutaneous lesions caused by Trichophyton rubrum during treatment of bullous pemphigoid. One and a half months after the initiation of oral corticosteroid therapy, the lesions appeared. He had suffered from tinea pedis for several decades. Oral ketoconazole was given for 6 weeks with remarkable improvement. Trichophytic granuloma is a rare but important complication of bullous pemphigoid.     

Richter syndrome first manifesting as cutaneous B-cell lymphoma clonally distinct from primary B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia

Richter syndrome (RS) is a transformation to high-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). RS may develop in lymph nodes or rarely extranodally. Skin localization of RS has been described in only a few cases. We present a 77-year-old woman who developed isolated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) in the skin of the nose without any other symptoms of RS. The LBCL in the skin was clonally distinct from the original bone marrow CLL cells. Moreover, LBCL cells were positive for LMP-1 segment of Epstein-Barr virus and overexpressed p53 protein. The patient was successfully treated with CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone) and adjuvant local radiotherapy.     

A population-based study of acute medical conditions associated with bullous pemphigoid

Background  Bullous pemphigoid is associated with poorly understood dramatically increased early mortality rates.
Objectives  To assess the incidence of acute events predisposing to early mortality.
Methods  Computerized medical records from the Health Improvement Network, a large population-based U.K. general practice database, were used to conduct a cohort analysis. Outcome measures were incidence rates of myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism, pneumonia and sepsis compared with a matched control population.
Results  People with bullous pemphigoid were three times as likely to develop pneumonia, adjusted rate ratio 2·94 [95% confidence interval (CI) 2·01–4·31] or pulmonary embolism, adjusted rate ratio 3·12 (95% CI 1·37–7·12) compared with matched controls. No statistically significant increase was seen for myocardial infarction, adjusted rate ratio 1·24 (95% CI 0·66–2·33), or sepsis, adjusted rate ratio 2·02 (95% CI 0·78–5·21).
Conclusions  The risk of pulmonary embolism and pneumonia is increased following a diagnosis of bullous pemphigoid. It may be possible to reduce associated mortality through considering prophylaxis with either antithromboembolic measures or antibiotic therapy and vaccination.     

Case of localized bullous pemphigoid with unique clinical manifestations in the lower legs

We report the case of a 71-year-old Japanese woman who presented with persistent band-like erosions in the lower legs. Histological examination suggested subepidermal blister formation. Direct and indirect immunofluorescence studies revealed tissue-deposited and circulating immunoglobulin G autoantibodies against the basement membrane. Western blotting revealed autoantibodies to BP230, but not to BP180. Based on these findings, the patient was diagnosed as having a localized type of bullous pemphigoid. We suggest that the unique clinical manifestations in this patient could be attributable to bacterial or fungal infection, and/or mechanical trauma, such as the pressure of her socks.     

Primary cutaneous marginal zone B-cell lymphoma in a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia

Primary cutaneous marginal zone B-cell lymphoma (PCMZL) is a low-grade malignant lymphoma that presents in the skin with no evidence of extracutaneous localization at diagnosis. We present an 80-year-old woman with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) who developed multifocal PCMZL lesions 14 months after CLL diagnosis. PCMZL was clonally similar to the original bone marrow (BM) CLL cells. The specific translocation t(14;18) (q32;q21) with breakpoints in IGH and BCL2 loci was found in a skin specimen, but was absent in BM and peripheral blood (PB) cells. In contrast, a 13q deletion was found in BM and PB CLL cells. The patient was treated with chlorambucil and complete response of PCMZL was achieved. To our knowledge this is the first patient with CLL in whom PCMZL has been diagnosed.     

Amoxicillin-induced bullous pemphigoid in a child

The Authors describe the case of a 6-year old female child who presented a bullous dermatitis following the administration of amoxicillin, with clinical, histopathological and immunological features typical of childhood bullous pemphigoid. The peculiar aspects of drug-induced bullous pemphigoid are therefore reviewed, with particular reference to the hypotheses behind the relative induction mechanism.     

天疱疮和大疱性类天疱疮患者血清瘦素水平的检测及意义

目的：探讨瘦素在天疱疮和大疱性类天疱疮发病中的作用。方法：采用放射免疫分析法对35例天疱疮和大疱性类天疱疮患者血清瘦素水平进行了检测，并以30例健康体检者作为正常对照组。结果：天疱疮和大疱性类天疱疮患者瘦素水平与正常对照组相比，显著升高，差异有显著性（P〈0．001）；重症和中、轻症患者瘦素水平升高，与正常对照组相比，差异均有显著性（P〈0．01和P〈0．05）；重症与中、轻症患者相比较，瘦素水平差异无显著性（P〉0．05）。男、女天疱疮和大疱性类天疱疮患者瘦素水平与正常对照组相比均明显升高，差异有显著性（P〈0．005和P〈0．01）；男及女天疱疮、大疱性类天疱疮患者瘦素水平较其各自正常对照组升高，差异有显著性（P〈0．05和P〈0．01）。结论：天疱疮和大疱性类天疱疮患者瘦素水平升高，可能在这两种大疱性疾病的发生和发展过程中起一定作用。     

大疱性类天疱疮患者发根毛囊中抗体的检测

目的：通过检测大疱性类天疱疮患者拔出的头发上残留毛囊中大疱性类天疱疮抗体的沉积情况,建立一种快捷、损伤小的检测大疱性类天疱疮的方法。方法：直接免疫荧光方法测定35例大疱性类天疱疮患者拔出的头发上残留毛囊中类天疱疮抗体的沉积,10例健康人及20例天疱疮病人头发作为对照。结果：35例大疱性类天疱疮患者的毛发,其中阳性28例,阴性7例,阳性率80%;类天疱疮IgG和C3在毛囊表皮下的外毛根鞘外层与结缔组织鞘之间呈明显的线状沉积。10例正常人及20例天疱疮患者均无线状沉积。结论：本实验方法简单、快速、敏感,且具有较高特异性,有可能成为诊断和鉴别诊断大疱性类天疱疮的一种有效的方法。     

Polymorphisms of HLA-DR and -DQ genes in Japanese patients with bullous pemphigoid

Bullous pemphigoid (BP), an autoimmune skin disease of the elderly, is mediated by autoantibodies that bind to hemidesmosomes of epidermal basal cells. This study investigated BP-associated HLA-DR and -DQ genes among Japanese patients. We analyzed HLA-DR and -DQ genes among 23 Japanese BP patients based on the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Eighteen of these 23 patients (78%) carried at least one allele of HLA-DRB1*04 or DRB1*1101, with significant increases in HLA-DRB1*04 (*0403, *0406)/DQA1*0301/DQB1*0302 and DRB1*1101/DQA1*0505/DQB1*0302 haplotypes as well as the individual alleles DRB1*1101 and DQB1*0302 (corrected p < 0.05 for each comparison), when compared to control subjects. These data differ from the accepted DQB1*0301 (DQ7) association with the same disease among Caucasians. These findings indicate that different HLA class II haplotypes genetically influence susceptibility to BP among different ethnic groups. Our findings, together with previous reports on Caucasian patients with the pemphigoid group of bullous diseases, suggest that HLA-DRB1 molecules might participate in the regulation of autoimmune responses to BP antigens.     

某些细胞因子与大疱性类天疱疮病情相关性的研究

目的：探讨大疱性类天疱疮（ＢＰ）病情的临床指标和实验室指标,并进一步分析细胞因子（ＣＫｓ）在发病机理中的作用。方法：应用ＥＬＩＳＡ试剂盒定量测量疱液和血清中,ＩＬ－５、ＩＬ－６和ＩＦＮ－γ的浓度。结果：１０例ＢＰ患者,水疱个数和受累面积呈正相关;〈２４小时水疱疱液中ＩＬ－５与水疱个数和受累面积相关性最大;血液中３种ＣＫｓ浓度与水疱个数和受累面积间无相关关系;随时间延长ＩＬ－５、ＩＬ－６浓度逐渐降低,ＩＦＮ－γ逐渐升高。结论：水疱计数可作为估计ＢＰ病情严重性的临床指标,并可以此确定治疗方案中皮质类固醇初始剂量。２４小时以内新起水疱中ＩＬ－５浓度可作为衡量临床病情严重性的实验室指标。ＩＬ－５在疾病的早期阶段参与水疱形成,随病情进展,皮损区浸润细胞由Ｔｈ２型向Ｔｈ１型细胞过渡,ＩＦＮ－γ逐渐替代ＩＬ－５、ＩＬ－６成为     

米诺环素联合烟酰胺治疗121例大疱性类天疱疮

目的:了解米诺环素联合烟酰胺治疗大疱性类天疱疮的疗效。方法:121例大疱性类天疱疮患者初诊时给予米诺环素200mg/d;烟酰胺600-1500mg/d,服用2周。2周后复查,根据病情或继续口服米诺环素及烟酰胺;或米诺环素及烟酰胺加服少量泼尼松;或停服米诺环素及烟酰胺,改为单独服用泼尼松或用其他方法治疗,总共随访观察24周。结果:使用米诺环素联合烟酰胺治疗2周后达到完全控制40例(33.1%),基本控制48例(39.7%),无效33例(27.3%)。有效者合计88例(72.7%),最终完成24周米诺环素联合烟酰胺治疗的有29例(24.0%)。严重程度与2周后疗效,经Spearman相关分析,r=0.264,P=0.003,有显著相关性。结论:轻中度的大疱性类天疱疮患者,可以考虑首选米诺环素联合烟酰胺治疗。