title: Disorder of cellular immunity in pemphigus vegetans.
abstract: In an untreated 26-year-old female patient suffering from Neumann's pemphigus vegetans for 8 months (with neither preceding thymoma nor myasthenia gravis), several in vivo and in vitro phenomena of immunodeficiency involving both T and B cell system were disclosed. A diagnosis of defective immune state was established on the basis of the low IgG-serum level (though pemphigus antibodies were present), reduced T cell count in blood, weak PHA stimulation of lymphocytes, lack of skin reactivity to recall antigens and to most other bacterial antigens tested. Impaired chemotaxis and a deficient intracellular killing of Candida albicans by PMNL were also found. The conclusion is drawn that a combined disorder of both the B and T cell system is involved in the etiology of pemphigus vegetans, even when thymoma is ruled out.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D010392:Pemphigus / Q000276:immunology*; D012397:Rosette Formation; D013577:Syndrome; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D014844:Vulva / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G