Refractory bullous pemphigoid leaving numerous milia during recovery

Recovery with milia may occur in bullous pemphigoid (BP), mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) and epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA). Scarring commonly occurs in MMP and EBA. Here, we report a 62‐year‐old man patient with BP, who was left with numerous milia during recovery. The patient had immunoglobulin (Ig)G autoantibodies to the recombinant protein of the BP180‐NC16a domain and the soluble 120‐kDa ectodomain of BP180 (linear IgA bullous dermatosis [LAD]‐1). There are cases of BP with IgG autoantibodies to LAD‐1 and/or the recombinant protein of BP180 C‐terminal domain. Extensive milia formation during recovery may be associated with immunological predisposition and/or improper interaction between hemidesmosomes and the extracellular matrix components.     

Review of autoimmune blistering diseases: the Pemphigoid diseases

Autoimmune Blistering Diseases of the Pemphigoid type is characterised by sub‐epidermal blisters (SEB) with circulating autoantibodies against components of the basement membrane zone (BMZ). The main disorders to date include bullous pemphigoid (BP), pemphigoid gestationis, mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP), epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA), linear IgA disease (LABD), dermatitis herpetiformis (DH), lichen planus pemphigoides and bullous lupus. This is in contrast to pemphigus and related disorders, which demonstrate intraepidermal acantholysis and a positive Nikolsky sign. The classification and management is based on clinical, histological and direct and indirect immunofluorescence findings. There are, however, overlapping clinical and histological features between the conditions and clinical heterogeneity within each disease.     

Mucous membrane pemphigoid with immunoglobulin G autoantibodies against full-length and 120-kDa ectodomain of BP180

Mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) is a rare autoimmune, subepidermal, bullous disease characterized by erosive lesions on the mucous membranes and skin. MMP reacts with various target antigens including BP180, laminin-332, β4 integrin, α6 integrin or type VII collagen. We present a 67-year-old male MMP patient who had lesions on the oral and ocular mucous membranes and facial skin. By immunoblot analyses, immunoglobulin G autoantibodies in the patient's sera reacted with full-length BP180 and the 120-kDa ectodomain of BP180 (LAD-1).     

Case of epidermolysis bullosa acquisita with concomitant anti‐laminin‐332 antibodies

Subepidermal autoimmune blistering disease including bullous pemphigoid, pemphigoid gestationis, mucous membrane pemphigoid, anti‐laminin‐γ1 pemphigoid, linear immunoglobulin A bullous disease and epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA), are all characterized by direct immunofluorescence microscopy or immunoglobulin deposition on the basement membrane zone. Among them, EBA is a rare acquired subepidermal autoimmune blistering disease of the skin and mucous membranes reactive with type VII collagen, a major component of the epidermal basement membrane zone. Anti‐laminin‐332‐type mucous membrane pemphigoid has pathogenic autoantibodies against laminin‐332, which is a basement membrane heterotrimeric protein composed of α3, β3 and γ2 laminin chains. We describe a 73‐year‐old Japanese man presenting with multiple, annular, tense blisters on the lower legs and oral lesions. Despite the severe clinical manifestations, the disease was successfully controlled by combination therapy of oral prednisolone and mizoribine. This case was confirmed to have autoantibodies to both type VII collagen and laminin‐332 α3 chain by indirect immunofluorescence of 1 mol NaCl‐split normal human skin, various immunoblot analyses and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays. This case was a rare case of EBA with concomitant anti‐laminin‐332 antibodies.     

Bullous pemphigoid antigen II (BP180) and its soluble extracellular domains are major autoantigens in mucous membrane pemphigoid: the pathogenic relevance to HLA class II alleles and disease severity

BACKGROUND: Mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP), a chronic autoimmune subepithelial blistering disease, is associated with circulating IgG and/or IgA autoantibodies against several basement membrane zone antigens. The heterogeneity of clinical presentation and diversity of target autoantigens have contributed to difficulties in characterizing this condition immunologically. OBJECTIVES: To analyse serum autoantibody profile and HLA class II alleles in MMP patients and to correlate this with the clinical presentation of disease. METHODS: Well-defined subgroups consisting of 124 patients with MMP were examined for IgG and IgA reactivity with immunoblotting using human epidermal, dermal and placental amnion proteins. The results were further analysed on the basis of detailed clinical (sites of involvement and disease severity) and immunopathological criteria (immunofluorescence study and HLA class II alleles). RESULTS: Immunoblot assay revealed that the majority of MMP patients had IgG (93 of 124, 75%) and/or IgA autoantibodies (63 of 124, 51%) to BP180 (including its soluble ectodomains, 120-kDa LAD-1 and 97-kDa LABD97 antigens). Other antigens targeted predominantly by IgG autoantibodies included: BP230 in 34 (27%), beta4 integrin in 26 (21%), and laminin 5 in three (2%). All the BP230+ sera and 23 (88%) beta4 integrin+ sera also reacted with at least one of the BP180 antigens. Over 85% of patients with reactivity to beta4 integrin had ocular involvement. In most cases of MMP, more severe clinical features were associated with antibody reactivity to multiple basement membrane zone antigens, as well as reactivity to multiple BP180 component antigens. Dual BP180/LAD-1 reactivity with IgG and IgA was associated with a more severe phenotype. In addition, the subset-dependent autoantibody reactivity correlated well with specific HLA class II alleles, DQB1*0301, DRB1*04 and DRB1*11. CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirmed that BP180 is a major autoantigen targeted by the sera of patients with MMP. The disease-prevalent HLA class II alleles and humoral autoimmune response against the particular subsets of antigenic epitope(s) within BP180 ectodomain may contribute to the clinicopathological significance and disease severity of MMP.     

Pemphigoid nodularis (non-bullous): a clinicopathological study of five cases

Pemphigoid nodularis is a rare clinical variant of pemphigoid characterized by overlapping clinical features of both prurigo nodularis lesions and pemphigoid-like blisters. In pemphigoid nodularis, the immunopathological findings are identical to those of bullous pemphigoid (BP). We describe five patients who presented with the typical clinical phenotype of prurigo nodularis, who were found to have circulating and tissue-bound antibasement membrane zone autoantibodies. By immunoelectron microscopy and Western immunoblotting studies, the circulating antibodies were shown to target the hemidesmosome and specifically the BP antigens 1 and 2 (BP180 and BP230). In contrast to the majority of reported cases, none of these patients has ever developed blisters. The role of antibasement membrane zone antibodies in the development of the eruption, or the role of the eruption in the development and persistence of autoantibodies, is not clear. These cases demonstrate that the presence of these antibodies is not sufficient for the development of blisters.     

Interventions for mucous membrane pemphigoid/cicatricial pemphigoid and epidermolysis bullosa acquisita: a systematic literature review

OBJECTIVE: To identify and critically evaluate evidence from randomized controlled trials for the efficacy of treatments for mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP)/cicatricial pemphigoid (CP) and epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA). SEARCH STRATEGY: Review of MEDLINE from 1966 through March 2000, EMBASE from 1980 through March 2000, and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (February 28, 2001) to identify randomized controlled trials for the efficacy of treatments in MMP/CP and EBA. SELECTION CRITERIA: All randomized controlled trials of therapeutic interventions that included patients with MMP/CP or EBA confirmed by immunofluorescence study findings. All age groups were included. RESULTS: We found 2 small randomized controlled trials of MMP/CP, both conducted in patients with severe eye involvement. We were not able to identify a randomized controlled trial of therapeutic interventions in EBA. CONCLUSIONS: There is evidence from 2 small trials that severe ocular CP responds best to treatment with cyclophosphamide, and mild to moderate disease seems effectively suppressed by treatment with dapsone. No treatment recommendations can be made for EBA because to our knowledge no randomized controlled trials are published. Even though systemic corticosteroids are regarded as the gold standard in the treatment of MMP/CP and EBA, there is poor evidence from the literature that they are the best treatment for these diseases.     

IgA autoantibodies in the pemphigoids and linear IgA bullous dermatosis

Please cite this paper as: IgA autoantibodies in the pemphigoids and linear IgA bullous dermatosis. Experimental Dermatology 2010; 19: 648–653. Background: Patients with bullous pemphigoid (BP), mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) and pemphigoid gestationis (PG) have IgG antibodies against BP180 and BP230, components of the hemidesmosomes. Patients with linear IgA bullous dermatosis (LABD) have IgA autoantibodies against a 97/120‐kDa protein which is highly homologous to a shedded fragment of the BP180‐ectodomain. Objectives: The aim of our study was to determine the incidence of IgA autoantibodies directed against BP180/BP230 in the pemphigoids and LABD and to determine the antigenic regions that are targeted by IgA autoantibodies. Methods: Utilizing baculovirus‐expressed recombinant BP180 and BP230 proteins, we performed immunoblot analyses for IgA reactivity of sera from patients with BP (n = 30), MMP (n = 10), PG (n = 6), LABD (n = 6) and from control patients with non‐related pruritic dermatoses (n = 8). Results: IgA reactivity against BP180 and/or BP230 was detected in 19/30 of the BP, in 7/10 of the MMP, in 6/6 of the LABD and in 3/6 of the PG sera, respectively, but not in the control group. In all subgroups, the major antigenic site recognized by IgA antibodies was located within the NH₂‐terminus of the BP180‐ectodomain, but only a minority of the sera showed also IgA reactivity against the BP180‐NC16a‐domain. IgA reactivity against the central domain of BP180 was more frequently seen than against its COOH‐terminus. IgA against the COOH‐ and NH₂‐terminus of BP230, respectively, was detected in 6/30 of the BP, 1/10 of the MMP, 1/6 of the LABD and 0/8 control sera. Conclusion: IgA reactivity against BP180 and/or BP230 is a common finding in the pemphigoids.     

Place of human amniotic membrane immunoblotting in the diagnosis of autoimmune bullous dermatoses

Background Fine analysis of antiskin autoantibodies can contribute to the differential diagnosis of autoimmune bullous dermatoses. Objectives To develop a high‐performance immunoblotting method using human amniotic membrane as the antigen source, and to compare it with current laboratory methods. Methods Sera from 113 patients were tested by immunoblotting (IB), rat and monkey oesophagus and salt‐split skin indirect immunofluorescence (IIF), and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) quantification of anti‐BP180‐NC16a and anti‐BP230, or antidesmoglein (Dsg) 1 and 3 antibodies. There were 56 cases of bullous pemphigoid (BP), 22 cases of mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP), eight cases of epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA), two cases of bullous systemic lupus erythematosus (BSLE), 17 cases of pemphigus vulgaris (PV), and four cases each of pemphigus foliaceus (PF) and paraneoplastic pemphigus (PNP). Results In BP, the three methods had similar sensitivity (84–89%) for both anti‐BP180‐NC16a and anti‐BP230 antibody detection. In MMP, autoantibodies (mainly directed against BP180 or laminin 332 subunits) were detected in 77% of patients by IB, compared with only 9% by IIF on rat and monkey oesophagus and 36% on salt‐split skin, and 14% by anti‐BP180‐NC16a and anti‐BP230 ELISA. In patients with pemphigus, ELISA had 92% sensitivity for anti‐Dsg1 and 3, but IB and rat bladder IIF were necessary to confirm PNP by revealing specific and rare patterns (antidesmoplakin I/II, antienvoplakin and antiperiplakin antibodies). IB also revealed anticollagen VII antibodies in 60% of patients with EBA and BSLE, and antibodies to BP180, BP230 and Dsg3 in a few patients who were negative using the other two techniques. Conclusion Amniotic membrane immunoblotting is an interesting diagnostic tool for bullous diseases, as the entire panel of autoantibodies can be detected with a single extract. This method improves the identification of complex and heterogeneous autoimmune processes in conjunction with IIF and ELISA, and is particularly useful for MMP characterization.     

Penfigoide ampolloso: guía de manejo práctico

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is an autoimmune subepidermal bullous disease in which autoantibodies are directed against components of the basement membrane. Most of these antibodies belong to the immunoglobulin G class and bind principally to 2 hemidesmosomal proteins: the 180-kD antigen (BP180) and the 230-kD antigen (BP230). It is the most common blistering disease in the adult population in developed countries, with an estimated incidence in Spain of 0.2 to 3 cases per 100,000 inhabitants per year. The disease primarily affects older people, although it can also occur in young people and even in children. In recent years, advances in clinical practice have led to a better understanding and improved management of this disorder. These advances include new diagnostic techniques, such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for BP180 and new drugs for the treatment of BP, with diverse therapeutic targets. There is, however, still no international consensus on guidelines for the management of BP. This article is an updated review of the scientific literature on the treatment of BP. It focuses primarily on evidence-based recommendations and is written from a practical standpoint based on experience in the routine management of this disease.     

Direct and indirect immunofluorescence for the diagnosis of bullous autoimmune diseases

DIF and IIF evaluates in vivo bound and circulating autoantibodies and are the preferred methods for diagnosing AIBDs. In pemphigus diseases and dermatitis herpetiformis, the titer of circulating autoantibodies reflects the disease activity. In patients with a classical clinical picture, the DIF confirms the diagnosis. Furthermore, this technique is essential in subtypes of AIBDs with atypical clinical manifestations (eg, no blisters or erosions) or clinically similar presenting manifestations, such as bullous pemphigoid, MMP, or EBA. A direct or indirect SSST is often crucial for the differential diagnosis between subtypes of these diseases, leading to proper treatment for severely affected patients.     

Mucous membrane pemphigoid: HLA-DQB1*0301 is associated with all clinical sites of involvement and may be linked to antibasement membrane IgG production

BACKGROUND: Class I human leucocyte antigens (HLA) -A, -B, -Cw and class II HLA-DRB1, -DQB1 alleles were determined in 131 British Caucasian patients with mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) using serological and DNA-based methods. OBJECTIVES: To analyse the class I and II alleles expressed in well-defined clinical and immunopathological subgroups of MMP, in order to establish whether specific alleles or haplotypes might in part explain disease susceptibility, clinical sites of involvement or disease severity. METHODS: Subgroups of patients were analysed according to the following clinical criteria: age of onset, sex, sites of clinical involvement (oral, ocular, skin, nasal, genital, pharyngeal, oesophageal, laryngeal, perianal), disease severity and history of autoimmune disease. Subgroups were also analysed according to the following immunopathological criteria: autoantibody profile, the presence of circulating antibasement membrane IgG or IgA antibodies and the detection of target basement membrane zone (BMZ) antigens (BP230 and BP180) by IgG autoantibodies. RESULTS: Class I HLA typing showed no significant disease or subgroup associations. Class II DRB1 typing showed a significantly increased allelic frequency in MMP vs. controls for DRB1*11 (RR = 2.08, Pc < 0.0000056). For DQB1, MMP vs. controls, there was a significantly increased allelic frequency for DQB1*0301 (Pc < 0.00000028) in both males and females; all clinical sites of involvement, with the exception of laryngeal, oesophageal and perianal sites and in patients with detectable circulating anti-BMZ IgG compared with those negative for IgG (P < 0.0096, Pc < 0.019). A positive trend was noted in patients with ocular involvement compared with no ocular involvement and in patients with a clinical score > or = 10 compared with < 10. We found no difference in DQB1*0301 allele frequency between subgroups with or without BP180 or BP230 target antigens. Haplotype frequencies showed an increase in DRB1*04, DQB1*0301 (Pc < 0.000066) and DRB1*11, DQB1*0301 (Pc < 0.000002) among patients compared with controls. CONCLUSIONS: The DQB1*0301 allele confers a predisposition to all subgroups of MMP and may have a role in T-cell recognition of basement membrane antigens, resulting in the production of anti-BMZ IgG autoantibodies. The positive trend between increased allelic expression of DQB1*0301 in patients with ocular disease and in those with a higher clinical score, further suggests a role for this allele in disease severity.     

High-dose intravenous immune globulin for the treatment of autoimmune blistering diseases: an evaluation of its use in 14 cases

High-dose intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) is used to treat a wide variety of autoimmune diseases. We report our experiences of its use in a retrospective study of 14 patients with autoimmune blistering diseases, namely epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA), two; bullous pemphigoid (BP), two; pemphigoid gestationis (PG), one; nodular pemphigoid, two; and pemphigus vulgaris (PV), seven. Two patients with refractory EBA improved following regular courses of IVIG given as monotherapy. IVIG had a steroid-sparing effect in 10 patients with PV, BP and PG. However, the clinical effects were transient and of variable intervals, and repeated courses of IVIG were required. The rapid actions of IVIG were of particular benefit in two patients with extensive, rapidly progressive PV and in one patient with BP in whom swift disease control was required. In such cases, when rapid disease control is paramount, we recommend IVIG used in conjunction with conventional treatments as a safer and less invasive alternative to plasmapheresis. IVIG was ineffective in two patients with nodular pemphigoid. Analysis of indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) titres before and after IVIG showed that a fall in titre occurred after 78% of treatments and was observed in all disease groups. However, like the clinical improvements, the falls in IIF titres were transient and of variable interval, and titres rose back to pretreatment levels in all but one patient. IVIG appears to be beneficial under certain circumstances for the treatment of autoimmune blistering diseases but controlled trials are required to define its therapeutic role further.     

Rapid effector function of circulating NC16A-specific T cells in individuals with mucous membrane pemphigoid

BACKGROUND: Mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) is a chronic blistering skin disease frequently associated with circulating autoantibodies directed to a number of antigens including the NC16A region of BP180. NC16A domain-specific T cells have been identified in the blood of individuals with bullous pemphigoid (BP), pemphigoid gestationis and linear IgA disease, but there are no data investigating the potential role for such T cells in the pathogenesis of MMP. OBJECTIVES: To test the hypothesis that NC16A-specific T cells exist in the peripheral blood of individuals with MMP. METHODS: We isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 10 patients with MMP, 17 with BP and 10 healthy controls and examined the immunogenicity of overlapping peptides spanning the NC16A domain using interferon (IFN)-gamma enzyme-linked immunospot assay. RESULTS: Significant IFN-gamma production was observed in response to the NC16A peptides in two of the patients with MMP and two of the patients with BP but in none of the normal controls. These data suggest that in a minority of individuals with MMP, NC16A domain-specific T cells circulate at sufficiently high frequency to be detectable directly ex vivo and to show rapid effector function. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, these findings are the first to examine the potential role for antigen-specific autoreactive T cells in the pathogenesis of MMP, and confirm that in some individuals the NC16A domain may be an important target antigen.     

IgG, IgA and IgE autoantibodies against the ectodomain of BP180 in patients with bullous and cicatricial pemphigoid and linear IgA bullous dermatosis

BACKGROUND: Bullous pemphigoid (BP), linear IgA bullous dermatosis (LABD) and cicatricial pemphigoid (CP) are clinically distinct autoimmune bullous skin diseases characterized by autoantibodies against components of the epidermal basement membrane. Like most patients with BP, a significant subgroup of patients with CP has circulating IgG specific for BP180, a transmembraneous protein of hemidesmosomes. Moreover, sera of patients with LABD contain IgA autoantibodies reactive with a 97/120-kDa protein, LABD antigen 1, which is highly homologous to the extracellular portion of BP180. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to determine whether, in these diseases, autoantibody reactivity to BP180 is restricted to distinct immunoglobulin subtypes. METHODS: Utilizing a baculovirus-encoded form of the ectodomain of BP180, sera from patients with BP (n = 10), CP (n = 9), LABD (n = 10) and normal human control sera (n = 10) were analysed by immunoblot for IgG, IgA and IgE reactivity against BP180. RESULTS: All of 10 BP sera displayed IgG, IgA and IgE reactivity with BP180. Six and seven of nine CP sera, respectively, contained IgG and IgA autoantibodies reactive with BP180, but none of nine sera contained BP180-specific IgE. Nine of 10 LABD sera contained IgA, and six of 10 IgG, which was reactive with BP180, but none of 10 sera showed IgE reactivity to BP180. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of IgG and IgA autoantibody responses to BP180 in patients with three clinically distinct autoimmune bullous diseases indicates that an autoimmune response to the same distinct adhesion protein may lead to different clinical manifestations. It is therefore conceivable that variable epitopes of BP180 are targeted by the different autoantibody isotypes, resulting in the distinct clinical pictures.     

U-serrated immunodeposition pattern differentiates type VII collagen targeting bullous diseases from other subepidermal bullous autoimmune diseases

BACKGROUND: Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA) can be differentiated from other subepidermal bullous diseases by sophisticated techniques such as immunoelectron microscopy, salt-split skin antigen mapping, fluorescence overlay antigen mapping, immunoblot and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether the diagnosis can also be made by routine direct immunofluorescence microscopy. METHODS: We studied frozen skin biopsies from 157 patients with various subepidermal immunobullous diseases. RESULTS: We found three distinct 'linear' fluorescence patterns at the basement membrane zone: true linear, n-serrated and u-serrated. The true linear pattern, often seen in conjunction with either the n- or the u-serrated pattern, was found in any subepidermal immunobullous disease with nongranular depositions. In bullous pemphigoid, mucous membrane pemphigoid, antiepiligrin cicatricial pemphigoid, p200 pemphigoid and linear IgA disease the n-serrated pattern was found, corresponding with depositions located in hemidesmosomes, lamina lucida or lamina densa. However, in EBA and bullous systemic lupus erythematosus the u-serrated staining pattern was seen, corresponding with the ultralocalization of type VII collagen in the sublamina densa zone. The diagnosis of EBA with IgG or IgA autoantibodies directed against type VII collagen was confirmed by immunoelectron microscopy, salt-split skin antigen mapping, fluorescence overlay antigen mapping or immunoblotting. CONCLUSIONS: Using this pattern recognition by direct immunofluorescence microscopy we discovered several cases of EBA which would otherwise have been erroneously diagnosed as a form of pemphigoid or linear IgA disease.     

Detection of linear IgE deposits in bullous pemphigoid and mucous membrane pemphigoid: a useful clue for diagnosis

Summary Background Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is an autoimmune subepidermal blistering disease of the skin associated with IgG autoantibodies to BP180 and BP230, while mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) comprises a heterogeneous group of autoimmune blistering diseases characterized by a predominant mucous membrane involvement and scarring tendency associated with an autoantibody response to various autoantigens, including BP180. While the pathogenicity of IgG autoantibodies to BP180 has been demonstrated in BP, the role of IgE autoantibodies in mediating tissue damage in BP and MMP is unclear. Objectives To assess the presence of tissue‐bound IgE in patients with BP and MMP, and their correlation with distinct clinical features. Methods In this retrospective study, we assessed the presence of IgE deposits as detected by direct immunofluorescence microscopy of skin biopsy specimens obtained from 44 and 13 patients with a new diagnosis of BP and MMP, respectively. Distinct clinical features at time of diagnosis, such as itch, urticarial papules and plaques and eczematous lesions, were noted. Results In 18 of 44 (41%) patients with BP linear deposits of IgE of variable intensity were detectable along the dermoepidermal junction. In 14 (32%) of the cases, IgE deposits were found concomitantly with IgG and C3. In two (5%) patients, diagnosis of BP was based on the isolated detection of IgE together with consistent clinicopathological features. Nine of 13 (69%) patients with MMP also exhibited linear IgE deposits, including one case with isolated linear IgE deposits. Patients with BP with tissue‐bound IgE deposits had clinically significant urticarial papules and plaques when compared with patients with BP without IgE deposits. Conclusions Our findings indicate that demonstration of tissue‐bound IgE deposits provides an additional useful criterion for diagnosis of BP and MMP in some patients. Prospective studies are needed to better correlate the presence of tissue‐bound and circulating IgE autoantibodies and their specificity with distinct clinical features and course of BP and MMP.     

Rituximab in autoimmune bullous diseases: mixed responses and adverse effects

BACKGROUND: Intolerably high doses of systemic corticosteroids and additional immunosuppressants may be required to control disease activity in autoimmune bullous skin diseases. New therapeutic options are needed for such patients. OBJECTIVES: To determine the efficacy and adverse effects of adjuvant rituximab. METHODS: Seven patients with refractory autoimmune blistering diseases (pemphigus vulgaris, PV, n = 4; bullous pemphigoid, BP, n = 2; mucous membrane pemphigoid, MMP, n = 1) were treated four times with rituximab at an individual dose of 375 mg m(-2) at weekly intervals. RESULTS: All lesions cleared in three patients (two PV, one BP), while they were reduced by more than 50% in three others (two PV, one BP). The concomitant immunosuppressive medication was reduced in five patients (four PV, one BP). The patient with MMP developed bilateral blindness while nasopharyngeal lesions resolved. Three patients (two BP, one PV) experienced severe adverse events including fatal pneumonia. CONCLUSIONS: Adjuvant B-cell depletion by rituximab is effective in otherwise therapy-resistant bullous autoimmune disorders but may be associated with substantial adverse effects including fatal outcomes.     

生物制剂治疗类天疱疮的研究进展

类天疱疮是一组自身免疫性表皮下大疱病,包括大疱性类天疱疮、黏膜类天疱疮、妊娠类天疱疮等。外用或系统应用糖皮质激素和免疫抑制剂是类天疱疮传统的治疗方法,长期使用易发生严重不良反应,近年来一些学者使用生物制剂治疗类天疱疮取得一定疗效,现将生物制剂治疗类天疱疮的研究进展进行综述。     

The 120-kDa soluble ectodomain of type XVII collagen is recognized by autoantibodies in patients with pemphigoid and linear IgA dermatosis

BACKGROUND: Type XVII collagen promotes adhesion of basal keratinocytes to epidermal basement membrane, and is the target of disease in patients with certain inherited or acquired blistering diseases. Two forms of type XVII collagen are produced by cultured human keratinocytes: a 180-kDa full-length, transmembrane protein, and a recently identified 120-kDa soluble fragment that corresponds to its collagenous ectodomain. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to determine the incidence and pattern of reactivity of autoantibodies against the 180- and 120-kDa forms of type XVII collagen in sera from 40 patients with bullous pemphigoid (BP), pemphigoid gestationis or cicatricial pemphigoid (CP), as well as six patients with linear IgA dermatosis (LAD). METHODS: Various immunochemical techniques were used. RESULTS: These studies found that the 120-kDa fragment of type XVII collagen was bound by circulating autoantibodies in 13 of 38 patients with BP or CP and all six patients with LAD. While many pemphigoid sera had specific reactivity against one but not both forms of this protein, autoantibodies from patients with LAD bound only the soluble ectodomain. CONCLUSIONS: These findings are consistent with the presence of both neoepitopes and cross-reactive epitopes on the ectodomain of type XVII collagen. The finding that sera from patients with LAD showed specific reactivity to epidermal basement membrane suggests that such neoepitopes are present in human skin and that their targeting by autoantibodies may contribute to disease pathogenesis.