We present here a 63-year-old man with chronic hepatitis C who developed bullous lesions and anti-intercellular antibodies when he received interferon (IFN) α-2a, 9 MU subcutaneously, 3 times a week for 3 months. The direct immunofluorescence was consistent with pemphigus features. The indirect immunofluorescence showed negative before IFN treatment, but it became positive after 3 months. The i...

BACKGROUND Indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) is the standard method for the detection of pemphigus autoantibodies. Commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) have recently become available to measure serum antibodies (Abs) against desmoglein1 (Dsg1) and desmoglein3 (Dsg3). It has been suggested that patients with mucosal-dominant pemphigus vulgaris (PV) have serum Abs ag...

There has been no previous clinical-immunological study of pemphigus in Spain. The aim of this study was to perform a retrospective analysis of pemphigus patients who had been followed for a period of 18 years in our centre. We characterized the autoantibody response, compared diagnostic assays and correlated the immunobiological data with phenotype and prognosis. Clinical, epidemiological and ...

In order to examine the efficacy and side effects of the monoclonal antibody anti-CD20 (rituximab) on autoimmune blistering skin diseases, we performed a comprehensive survey of 71 consecutive patients from initial use up to 2007, using the PubMed database. A heterogeneous group of patients, including 51 patients with pemphigus vulgaris, one with pemphigus vegetans, nine with pemphigus foliaceu...

Sir, Cilazapril is a new angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) which, like other ACEIs, is a non-thiol molecule, containing an active amide group. Since the early 1990s an increasing number of case reports have been published pointing to the role of this family of drugs in inducing or triggering pemphigus (1). In 1992, the ACEI Enalapril was found to be the most powerful acantholytic d...

Herein, we report a case of paraneoplastic pemphigus with mild skin features of pemphigus foliaceus and lichenoid stomatitis associated with B-cell lymphoma. A 49-year-old man presented with scattered blisters and erosions on the trunk along with mucosal blisters and erosions. Skin biopsy showed subcorneal acantholytic bulla and oral mucosal biopsy demonstrated lichenoid dermatitis. Direct immu...

Introduction: The in situ immune response in skin biopsies from patients affected by autoimmune skin blistering diseases (ABD) is not well characterized. Aim: Our investigation attempts to immunophenotype cells in lesional skin in several ABD, utilizing immunohistochemistry (ICH). Methods: We tested by IHC for CD4, CD8, CD19, CD20, CD45, CD56/NCAM, PAX-5, granzyme B, myeloperoxidase, neutrophil...

Introduction: Previous research on autoimmune skin blistering diseases (ABD) has primarily focused on the humoral immune response; moreover, little attention has been given to the potential role of the antigen presenting cells (APCs) in lesional skin. Aim: The purpose of our study was to immunophenotype selected APC in the lesional skin of ABDs, utilizing immunohistochemistry (IHC) stains. Mate...