Open AccessBullous pemphigoid autoantibodies
Author(s) -
Florentina-Silvia Delli,
Elena Sotiriou,
Efstratios Vakirlis,
Demetrios Ioannides
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
aims allergy and immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2575-615X
DOI - 10.3934/allergy.2021019
Subject(s) - bullous pemphigoid , autoantibody , medicine , pemphigoid , pemphigus , immunology , dermatitis herpetiformis , dermatology , antibody , disease , autoimmunity , autoimmune disease , pathology
Autoimmune blistering skin disorders are rare. According to direct immunofluorescence studies, three categories are described: pemphigus group, pemphigoid group and dermatitis herpetiformis. Among these diseases, bullous pemphigoid is the most common. Patients with typical bullous pemphigoid disease are usually elderly and have many comorbidities. Considering that topical and systemic corticosteroids are the first choice therapy, these patients also have increased morbidity and risk of death. The main characteristic of bullous pemphigoid as an acquired autoimmune blistering disease is the formation of autoantibodies against hemidesmosomal antigens BP180 and BP230. Although IgG autoantibodies predominate within the plasma and skin of BP patients, some features of the disease cannot be explained solely by IgG-mediated mechanisms. Epitope spreading phenomena, immunoglobulin class switch and the relevance of IgM and IgE autoantibodies are discussed in this article.