The Structure of Desmosome

Pemphigus (from the Greek pemphix, meaning bubble or blister) is a blistering disease involving the skin and mucous membrane. The disease is characterized histologically by acantholysis which means loss of adhesion between keratinocytes, and immuno-pathologically by the presence of immunoglobulin directed towards the cell surface of kerat inocytes . 1 The landmark ar t ic le in the understanding of pathogenesis of pemphigus was published in 1964, which demonstrated the presence of anti-skin antibodies in the sera of pemphigus patients by indirect immunofluorescence staining. Since then, with the improvement in immunological techniques, the antigens responsible for the disease were identified. These medical advances not only provide us with a better knowledge of the pathogenesis of pemphigus but also lead to the development of recombinant proteins, which are employed in enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the diagnosis of pemphigus. Review on Pathogenesis of Pemphigus