title: [Treatment of bullous pemphigoid by plasma exchange and prednisolone].
abstract: Between March, 1983 and March 1984, 12 previously untreated patients (7 men, 5 women) with biopsy proven active bullous pemphigoid entered this open study. Their initial therapy associated oral prednisolone 0.5 mg/kg in divided daily doses with 4 large volume plasma exchanges (one and half the theoretical plasma volume) over 2 weeks. The disease was considered under control when new blisters and pruritus were absent for 2 consecutive weeks. This initial treatment was well tolerated by these elderly patients (mean age 80 +/- 9 years), with no death and no major complication. Eight patients were controlled within 29 +/- 4 days. During progressive decrease of steroid dosage 5 of these 8 patients remained well (mean follow-up 7 months), 2 relapsed and one died of marasmus. Among the 4 patients who were not controlled, 3 needed only a slight increase in prednisolone doses (0.75 mg/kg/d) and 1 required up to 1 mg/kg/d and 4 additional plasma exchanges. This study suggests that a combined treatment with moderate doses of prednisolone and 4 large volume plasma exchanges is well tolerated and highly effective in bullous pemphigoid.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Guillaume
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Roujeau
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Touzet
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Revuz
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Touraine
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010391:Pemphigoid, Bullous / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D010951:Plasma Exchange; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012872:Skin Diseases, Vesiculobullous / Q000628:therapy*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D011239:Prednisolone
vernacular_title: Traitement de la pemphigoïde bulleuse par échanges plasmatiques et prednisolone.