BACKGROUND There is increasing evidence that a single cycle of rituximab (375 mg per square meter [corrected] of body surface area once weekly for 4 weeks) is efficacious in patients with severe pemphigus. The approved protocol in rheumatoid arthritis is 1 g on days 1 and 15. We report herein on the efficacy and safety of this latter protocol for rituximab in 9 patients with pemphigus. OBSERV...

Pemphigus vulgaris is a rare, potentially fatal, autoimmune blistering disease of the skin and mucous membranes. Treatment of this disease is problematic because of a lack of high-grade, evidence-based recommendations, the side-effect profiles of the therapies available, and the extensive supportive care that afflicted patients require. The authors present the unfortunate course of a patient wi...

Pemphigus vulgaris is a potentially fatal autoimmune mucocutaneous disease associated with production of IgG autoantibodies to desmoglein 3, a 130 kDa epidermal protein. To further characterize the epitope(s) of Pemphigus vulgaris antigen we established two humanhuman hybridomas by fusion of the peripheral blood mononuclear cells with a human and mouse heterohybridoma. These hybridomas designat...

Pemphigus vulgaris is an autoimmune disease, in which the role of Th17 cytokines needs to be further explored. This study was performed to assess serum levels of three interleukins (IL) required for Th17 differentiation (IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-23) and two specific Th17 cytokines (IL-17 and IL-22) in a group of patients with pemphigus vulgaris, at baseline, 3 weeks and 6 months after treatment. Corr...

BACKGROUND Pemphigus is an autoimmune bullous disease and it is unclear what triggers and deteriorates it. The current study aimed to evaluate whether increasing the IgG antibody titer represents a good indicator of the pemphigus recurrence. OBJECTIVES The current study aimed to evaluate whether increasing IgG titer is an indicator of the expected recurrence. PATIENTS AND METHODS The curren...

Parotitisis the inflammation of parotid gland and frequently due to bacterial viral infections, but mechanical obstruction parotitis ductus, Sjogren’s disease, other xerostomia etiologies, sarcoidosis, tuberculosis, oral ulcerations, drugs can also cause though less frequently. Pemphigus vulgaris patients may theoretically be at an increased risk for salivary inflammations because various reaso...

Dsg: desmoglein H&E: hematoxylin-eosin IL: interleukin PH: pemphigus herpetiformis INTRODUCTION Pemphigus herpetiformis (PH) is a rare variant of pemphigus and accounts for approximately 7% of cases. PH combines the clinical features of dermatitis herpetiformis with the histologic features of pemphigus. Clinically, the plaques are herpetiform or even annular. PH follows a more benign course wit...

The main objective in the treatment of pemphigus vulgaris is to control the disease, prevent relapses, and avoid adverse events associated with the prolonged use of steroids and immunosuppressive agents. Systemic corticosteroids remain the gold standard treatment for pemphigus vulgaris. Azathioprine and mycophenolate mofetil are the first line of steroid-sparing treatment. Rituximab is extremel...

Myasthenia gravis is an archetypal human autoimmune disease. Thymectomy proven effective by controlled clinical trials, and commonly part of the immunotherapeutic approach when myasthenia creates generalized weakness. Pemphigus foliaceus also but treated medically; thymectomy not therapy unless thymoma discovered. Autoimmune mechanisms, age distribution, response to in disorders are likely be d...

After so many years of learning about the epidemiology, nature, diagnosis and management of the pemphigus group and other bullous dermatoses at University Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Zagreb University Hospital Center and School of Medicine, it was wonderful to discover – from the oral presentation entitled “Bullöse Dermatosen 2007” held by Prof. Michael Hertl in Graz (Austria) at...