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BP180‐ and BP230‐specific IgG autoantibodies in pruritic disorders of the elderly: a preclinical stage of bullous pemphigoid?
Author(s) -
Schmidt T.,
Sitaru C.,
Amber K.,
Hertl M.
Publication year - 2014
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 - 10.1111/bjd.12936
Subject(s) - bullous pemphigoid , autoantibody , immunology , medicine , pemphigoid , immune system , etiology , population , antibody , pathology , environmental health
Summary Pruritus increasingly occurs in the elderly population and is associated with a variety of dermatoses of mixed aetiology. Clinical and experimental evidence suggests that senile pruritus may be linked to autoimmune events initiated by loss of self‐tolerance against cutaneous autoantigens, which is facilitated by immune ageing processes. T‐cell immunity, which underpins the production of pathogenic autoantibodies in autoimmune diseases, is deregulated by immune senescence thereby leading to autoimmune disorders such as bullous pemphigoid ( BP ). High mortality rates of BP combined with steadily increasing incidence emphasize the need for an effective diagnostic strategy at an early stage. We summarize here the current understanding of immunological alterations during the ageing process, thereby focusing on aberrant T‐cell responses against the basement membrane antigens BP180 and BP230, which may eventually lead to the clinical outcome of BP.