Serum autoantibodies against the dermal–epidermal junction in patients with chronic pruritic disorders, elderly individuals and blood donors prospectively recruited. (April 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: van, N.; Dohse, A.; Riechert, F.; Krull, V.; Recke, A.; Zillikens, D.; Schmidt, E.
• Is Part Of: British journal of dermatology. Volume 170:Number 4(2014:Apr.)
• Page Start: 943
• Page End: 947
• Publication Date: 2014-04
• Subjects: Dermatology -- Periodicals; Skin -- Diseases -- Periodicals; 616.5
• DOI: 10.1111/bjd.12739
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0007-0963

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="short" xml:lang="en" id="bjd12739-abs-0002"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <p> <bold>What's already known about this topic?</bold> </p> <p> <list id="bjd12739-list-0001" list-type="bullet"> <list-item> <p>Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is by far the most frequent autoimmune bullous dermatosis; it mainly affects the elderly, and is associated with severe pruritus.</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p>Autoantibodies against the epidermal basal membrane zone (BMZ) have previously been reported in patients with chronic pruritic dermatoses and elderly individuals.</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p>Therefore, chronic pruritus and old age were suggested as risk factors for BP.</p> </list-item> </list> </p> <p> <bold>What does this study add?</bold> </p> <p> <list id="bjd12739-list-0002" list-type="bullet"> <list-item> <p>This prospective controlled study assayed sera from a large number of patients with pruritic dermatoses and elderly individuals using validated test systems and found no increased autoantibody reactivity against the epidermal BMZ compared with blood donors.</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p>Thus, old age and chronic pruritus do not appear to be factors for the development of autoantibodies against the epidermal BMZ.</p> </list-item> </list> </p> </abstract>