Blood group related antigens in ocular cicatricial pemphigoid.
OBJECTIVE
To study the MUC5AC and the blood group related antigen expression in ocular cicatricial pemphigoid (OCP) according to the distribution of Lewis and secretor phenotypes in OCP patients compared to normal subjects.


METHODS
Immunostaining was performed on conjunctival biopsy specimens from 22 consecutive patients suffering from OCP, using monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) directed against the peptidic core MUC5AC mucin (anti-M1/MUC5AC Mabs) and against the saccharide moieties (anti-blood group related antigens). These latter included anti-Le(a), anti-Le(b), anti-sialyl Le(a), and H type 2 Mabs, which immunoreact with Lewis positive and non-secretor (Le(a)), Lewis positive and secretor (Le(b)), Lewis positive (sialyl Le(a)), and secretor (H type 2) phenotypes respectively. Serological tests were also performed to confirm the phenotype of each patient. The immunohistopathological patterns and the distribution of Lewis and secretor phenotypes were compared with the results of a previous study in normal individuals.


RESULTS
(1) In OCP patients compared to the normal population, anti-M1 immunoreactivity of goblet cells was unchanged, whereas anti-Le(a), anti-Le(b), and anti-sialyl Le(a) immunoreactivities of epithelial and/or goblet cells were markedly decreased. (2) 41% of OCP patients had a non-secretor phenotype, which is statistically significantly more than the estimated incidence of the same phenotype in the French population (20%) (p approximately 0.04).


CONCLUSIONS
Mucins in OCP patients showed a decreased expression of blood group related antigens whereas the MUC5AC peptidic core detected by anti-M1 Mab remained unchanged. These results also seem to indicate that OCP may be associated with a non-secretor phenotype.
Creuzot-Garcher
C
C
Service d'Ophtalmologie, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France. catherine.creuzot-garcher@chu-dijon.fr
Xuan
T H
TH
Bron
A M
AM
Robin
H
H
d'Athis
P
P
Bara
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001789:Blood Group Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D003229:Conjunctival Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D020397:Goblet Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007983:Lewis Blood Group Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D055271:Mucin 5AC; D055257:Mucin-5B; D009077:Mucins / Q000378:metabolism; D010390:Pemphigoid, Benign Mucous Membrane / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010641:Phenotype
D001789:Blood Group Antigens; D007983:Lewis Blood Group Antigens; C524678:MUC5AC protein, human; C524578:MUC5B protein, human; D055271:Mucin 5AC; D055257:Mucin-5B; D009077:Mucins