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The KIR genes and their HLA class I ligands have thus far not been investigated in pemphigus foliaceus (PF) and related autoimmune diseases, such as pemphigus vulgaris. We genotyped 233 patients and 204 controls for KIR by PCR-SSP. HLA typing was performed by LABType SSO reagent kits. We estimated the odds ratio, 95% confidence interval and performed logistic regression analyses to test the hyp...

BACKGROUND Measuring the quality of life (QOL) is important in the evaluation of nonclinical aspects of diseases, for the discovery of functional and psychological limitations, and in choosing treatment in the initial phase of the disease. Pemphigus is a potentially fatal autoimmune bullous disease caused by autoantibodies against desmogleins (cadherin family proteins in desmosomes). Thus far, ...

After so many years of learning about the epidemiology, nature, diagnosis and management of the pemphigus group and other bullous dermatoses at University Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Zagreb University Hospital Center and School of Medicine, it was wonderful to discover – from the oral presentation entitled “Bullöse Dermatosen 2007” held by Prof. Michael Hertl in Graz (Austria) at...

We present here a 63-year-old man with chronic hepatitis C who developed bullous lesions and anti-intercellular antibodies when he received interferon (IFN) α-2a, 9 MU subcutaneously, 3 times a week for 3 months. The direct immunofluorescence was consistent with pemphigus features. The indirect immunofluorescence showed negative before IFN treatment, but it became positive after 3 months. The i...

BACKGROUND Indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) is the standard method for the detection of pemphigus autoantibodies. Commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) have recently become available to measure serum antibodies (Abs) against desmoglein1 (Dsg1) and desmoglein3 (Dsg3). It has been suggested that patients with mucosal-dominant pemphigus vulgaris (PV) have serum Abs ag...

There has been no previous clinical-immunological study of pemphigus in Spain. The aim of this study was to perform a retrospective analysis of pemphigus patients who had been followed for a period of 18 years in our centre. We characterized the autoantibody response, compared diagnostic assays and correlated the immunobiological data with phenotype and prognosis. Clinical, epidemiological and ...

In order to examine the efficacy and side effects of the monoclonal antibody anti-CD20 (rituximab) on autoimmune blistering skin diseases, we performed a comprehensive survey of 71 consecutive patients from initial use up to 2007, using the PubMed database. A heterogeneous group of patients, including 51 patients with pemphigus vulgaris, one with pemphigus vegetans, nine with pemphigus foliaceu...

Sir, Cilazapril is a new angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) which, like other ACEIs, is a non-thiol molecule, containing an active amide group. Since the early 1990s an increasing number of case reports have been published pointing to the role of this family of drugs in inducing or triggering pemphigus (1). In 1992, the ACEI Enalapril was found to be the most powerful acantholytic d...