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Patients with a new variant of endemic pemphigus foliaceus have autoantibodies against arrector pili muscle, colocalizing with MYZAP , p0071, desmoplakins 1 and 2 and ARVCF
Author(s) -
AbreuVelez A. M.,
ValenciaYepes C. A.,
UpeguiZapata Y. A.,
UpeguiQuiceno E.,
MesaHerrera N. R.,
VelazquezVelez J. E.,
Howard M. S.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
clinical and experimental dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.587
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1365-2230
pISSN - 0307-6938
DOI - 10.1111/ced.13214
Subject(s) - biology , autoantibody , antibody , antigen , immunofluorescence , polyclonal antibodies , autoimmunity , immune system , immunology , microbiology and biotechnology
Summary Background We identified a new variant of endemic pemphigus foliaceus in El Bagre, Colombia, South America, which we term El Bagre‐ EPF , and observed reactivity to arrector pili muscle ( APM ), thus we tested for autoimmunity to APM . Methods We took skin biopsies from 30 patients with El Bagre‐ EPF and 30 healthy controls ( HC s) matched by age, sex and occupation, who were all from the endemic area, and tested these using direct immunofluorescence ( DIF ), confocal microscopy, immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting ( IB ). Results Of the 30 patients with El Bagre‐ EPF , 27 had autoantibodies to APM that colocalized with commercial antibodies to myocardium‐enriched zonula occludens‐1‐associated protein ( MYZAP ), desmoplakin ( DP )1 and DP 2, plakophilin 4, and Armadillo repeat gene deleted in velo‐cardio‐facial syndrome ( ARVCF ) ( P < 0.001, Fisher exact test). The positive staining also colocalized with Junctional Adhesion Molecule 1 (JAM‐A), a control antibody for gap cell junctions. No HC samples were positive. In 27 of the 30 patients, serum that was APM ‐positive also displayed IB colocalization of their autoantibody molecular weights with the Progen antibodies ( P < 0.001, Fisher exact test). Conclusions Patients affected by El Bagre‐ EPF have autoantibodies to APM , colocalizing with the antibodies MYZAP , ARVCF , p0071, DP 1 and DP 2, suggesting that these molecules are El Bagre‐ EPF antigens. Further, all of these antigens represent components of cell junctions, indicating that the immune response is directed, at least partially, against cell junctions. The immune response in patients affected by El Bagre‐ EPF is polyclonal, and it includes B and T lymphocytes, mast cells, IgG, IgA, IgM, IgD, IgE, fibrinogen, albumin, complement/C1q, C3c and C4.