Linear IgA disease: successful treatment with erythromycin.
Conventional first-line treatments for linear IgA disease (and the related chronic immunobullous disease of childhood) include topical steroids and dapsone, both of which may be associated with potentially serious side-effects. Alternative anti-inflammatory therapies such as tetracycline and macrolide antibiotics, have been used to treat other immunobullous disorders and we now report an adult case of linear IgA disease and a paediatric case of mixed immunobullous disease of childhood that both responded to the macrolide antibiotic erythromycin. The mode of action is speculative and anti-inflammatory mechanisms are unclear. Nevertheless, from a clinical perspective, erythromycin may have a role in the treatment of linear IgA disease and could be considered ahead of many other, perhaps potentially more toxic, therapies.
Cooper
S M
SM
Department of Dermatology, Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals, Oxford, UK. sm_nc@btopenworld.com
Powell
J
J
Wojnarowska
F
F
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001768:Blister / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012872:Skin Diseases, Vesiculobullous / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D004917:Erythromycin