Premium
Membrane attack complex (C5b‐9 complex or Mac), is strongly present in lesional skin from patients with endemic pemphigus foliaceus in El Bagre, Colombia
Author(s) -
AbreuVelez Ana Maria,
UpeguiZapata Yulieth A.,
ValenciaYepes Carlos A.,
UpeguiQuiceno Eduardo,
MesaHerrera NataliaRegina,
JiménezEchavarria Alejandra M.,
Pulido César D. N.,
Smoller Bruce R.,
Howard Michael S.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of cutaneous pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.597
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1600-0560
pISSN - 0303-6987
DOI - 10.1111/cup.13565
Subject(s) - autoantibody , iif , pathology , h&e stain , pemphigus foliaceus , complement membrane attack complex , complement system , biology , staining , immunology , titer , antibody , medicine
Background El Bagre endemic pemphigus foliaceus (El Bagre‐EPF) is a new variant of endemic pemphigus foliaceus present in the El Bagre area of Colombia, South America. Here, we investigate the presence of complement/C5‐b9 in lesional skin of patients and matched controls from the endemic area. We also aim to compare the patient's autoantibody levels using indirect immunofluorescent titers (IIF) and correlate with the lesional presence of complement/C5b‐9. Methods A case‐control study was carried out by testing for the presence of complement/C5b‐9 in lesional skin in 43 patients affected by El Bagre‐EPF, as well as 43 matched, healthy controls from the endemic area. Skin biopsies were obtained and evaluated via hematoxylin and eosin staining, and immunohistochemistry. Results The presence of complement/C5b‐9 was observed in all cases of the patients affected by El Bagre‐EPF and was not observed in the controls from the endemic area ( P < 0.001). The patients' autoantibody titers utilizing IIF for IgG and IgM showed correlation between higher autoantibody titers and stronger intensity of staining with complement/C5‐b9 staining ( P < 0.001). Conclusion Patients affected by El Bagre‐EPF have lesional deposition of complement/C5b, which correlates with disease severity and previously established serologies.