title: Pemphigoid gestationis: treatment with immunoapheresis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pemphigoid (herpes) gestationis is a rare blistering disease of pregnancy. Topical and systemic corticosteroids and antihistamines are usually sufficient for treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  A patient suffering from severe, therapy-resistant pemphigoid gestationis was successfully treated with the additional use of six sessions of immunoapheresis. Systemic corticosteroids could be tapered and serum autoantibody levels to bullous pemphigoid antigen 2 (BPAG2 = BP180) significantly dropped during this treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Immunoapheresis represents a helpful therapeutic option with few side effects for severe cases of pemphigoid gestationis, unresponsive to conventional treatment.
authors.affiliation: Division of Immunology, Allergy and Infectious Diseases (DIAID), Department of Dermatology, University of Vienna Medical School (AKH Wien), Austria. stefan.woehrl@univie.ac.at
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wöhrl
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Geusau
authors.forename: Franz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Karlhofer
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Derfler
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stingl
authors.forename: Detlef
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zillikens
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007116:Immunization, Passive / Q000379:methods*; D006559:Pemphigoid Gestationis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D010956:Plasmapheresis / Q000379:methods*; D011247:Pregnancy; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones