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Antiepiligrin (laminin 5) cicatricial pemphigoid associated with an underlying gastric carcinoma producing laminin 5
Author(s) -
Katushige Taniuchi,
Minoru Takata,
Chieko Matsui,
Yukio Fushida,
Kaho Uchiyama,
Toshifumi Mori,
Shigeru Kawara,
Kim B. Yancey,
Kazuhiko Takehara
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
british journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.304
H-Index - 179
eISSN - 1365-2133
pISSN - 0007-0963
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2133.1999.02773.x
Subject(s) - cicatricial pemphigoid , laminin , medicine , autoantibody , malignancy , lamina lucida , cancer , pathology , pemphigoid , bullous pemphigoid , dermatology , antibody , immunology , extracellular matrix , biology , basal lamina , ultrastructure , microbiology and biotechnology
Although bullous pemphigoid and cicatricial pemphigoid are sometimes associated with malignancy, it remains uncertain whether such an association is pathogenetically related or just a coincidence attributable to the advanced age of the patients. We report a 61‐year‐old patient with antiepiligrin (laminin 5) cicatricial pemphigoid (AeCP) associated with an advanced gastric carcinoma. The gastric carcinoma cells in this patient were shown to produce laminin 5 by immunofluorescence microscopy, and the patient's serum contained autoantibodies directed against laminin 5 on immunoprecipitation. Furthermore, the blistering symptoms and the titre of antibasement membrane zone antibodies coordinately changed with the resection and subsequent relapse of the gastric cancer. These observations suggest that the gastric carcinoma producing laminin 5 may have induced the production of autoantibodies to this laminin, which were pathogenic to the skin and mucous membranes in this patient. This report demonstrates a link between this autoimmune subepithelial blistering disease and malignancy. It is of interest and potential great importance to examine other cases of AeCP for such a potential association.