Use of indirect immunofluorescence in the lupus erythematosus/lichen planus overlap syndrome: an additional diagnostic clue.
The lupus erythematosus (LE)/lichen planus (LP) overlap syndrome comprises a heterogeneous group of patients who demonstrate clinical, histologic, and immunopathologic characteristics of two diseases. We report six patients with the syndrome who were evaluated by a double-layer indirect immunofluorescence (IF) technic using patient serum and autologous lesional skin as substrate followed by conjugate. This test demonstrated intense staining of the stratum granulosum in two patients, a finding previously shown to be consistent with LP. A third patient developed criteria for the diagnosis of systemic LE with corroborating direct IF findings and a negative indirect IF assay. This preliminary study provides evidence for a possible way of distinguishing LE from LP in some patients with the overlap syndrome.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D008010:Lichen Planus / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008179:Lupus Erythematosus, Discoid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D013577:Syndrome