title: Herpetiform pemphigus showing reactivity with pemphigus vulgaris antigen (desmoglein 3)
abstract: We report a patient with herpetiform pemphigus (HP) who showed reactivity only with pemphigus vulgaris (PV) antigen but not with pemphigus foliaceus (PF) antigen. Direct and indirect immunofluorescence revealed keratinocyte cell surface staining in the lower layers of the epidermis, where desmoglein 3 (Dsg3) is expressed. Immunoblot analysis, using ethylenediamine tetra-acetic acid-separated human epidermal extracts, revealed that the patient's serum recognized only a 130-kDa polypeptide which co-migrated with Dsg3. By antigen-specific immunoadsorption studies, using desmoglein 1 (Dsg1) and Dsg3 recombinant protein produced by baculovirus expression system, immunoreactivity of the patient's serum was completely adsorbed by Dsg3 alone, but not by Dsg1. These results indicate that this HP patient produced only anti-Dsg3 autoantibodies and no other autoantibodies against components of the keratinocyte cell surface. HP could be a variant of PV, in addition to PF, with unique clinical and histological features.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Osaka University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kubo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amagai
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Doi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Higashiyama
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshikawa
mesh_terms: D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology*; D015820:Cadherins / Q000276:immunology*; D051184:Desmoglein 3; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D019085:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007163:Immunosorbent Techniques; D008875:Middle Aged; D010392:Pemphigus / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001324:Autoantigens; D015820:Cadherins; C071894:DSG3 protein, human; D051184:Desmoglein 3; D000939:Epitopes