Herpes gestationis (HG) is a putative autoimmune bullous dermatosis of pregnancy which shares many findings with bullous pemphigoid (BP), a disease of the elderly. This study identifies for the first time the antigen detected by HG autoantibodies and compares it with that recognized by BP autoantibodies. Sera from 16 HG and 17 BP patients, and from normal pregnant women were evaluated by immuno...

Sir, Pemphigoid gestationis (PG) is a rare autoimmune blistering disease specific to pregnancy that usually presents in the second or third trimester or during the immediate postpartum period (1, 2). PG may develop in association with other autoimmune diseases, as well as with trophoblastic tumours, hydatiform mole and choriocarcinoma (3). The pathogenesis of PG is not fully established. Howeve...

Pemphigoid gestationis (PG) is a rare autoimmune bullous dermatosis of pregnancy usually presents in the second or third trimester. It is characterized by pruritic, urticarial plaques with the development of tense vesicles and bullae within the lesions. Pathogenesis of PG is not fully established, however, most patients develop circulating autoantibodies targeting the bullous pemphigoid (BP) 18...

Autoantibodies present in the sera of patients with bullous pemphigoid (BP) bind to the basement membrane zone of normal human skin and commonly recognize two epidermal proteins, the BP240 and BP180 antigens. Two BP antigen cDNA clones from a lambda gt11 human keratinocyte library have been identified on the basis of reactivity with a BP serum. The fusion protein (FP) produced by one clone immu...

Nine skin biopsies from seven herpes gestationis patients were studied by immunofluorescence (IF) techniques. Basement membrane zone (BMZ) deposition of C3 and properdin was present in all nine skin specimens, while IgG deposition was apparent in only one. With in vitro C3 IF staining, positive BMZ staining (HG factor activity) was noted with all seven of our patients' serum samples tested. By ...

Nongenital herpes simplex virus type 1 is a common infection usually transmitted during childhood via nonsexual contact. Most of these infections involve the oral mucosa or lips (herpes labialis). The diagnosis of an infection with herpes simplex virus type 1 is usually made by the appearance of the lesions (grouped vesicles or ulcers on an erythematous base) and patient history. However, if un...

Autoantibodies associated with herpes gestationis (HG), a pregnancy-associated autoimmune skin disease, target the hemidesmosomal protein BP180. It was shown that the major noncollagenous stretch of the BP180 ectodomain (NC16A) harbors epitopes recognized by HG sera. Furthermore, Abs reactive with the homologous domain of murine BP180 are known to trigger a cutaneous blistering disease in mice ...