[Mucous membrane pemphigoid: IgG and IgA antibodies against the BP180 antigen].
BACKGROUND
Mucous membrane pemphigoid is a group of autoimmune bullous diseases, mediated by autoantibodies directed against different proteins in the dermoepidermal junction, including the BP180 antigen.


METHODS
We included five patients with MMP in this study. We studied the presence of circulating autoantibodies against the BP180 antigen and against recombinant extracellular fragments of this protein.


RESULTS
We detected the presence of circulating antibodies against BP180 in all of the patients. Indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) studies were positive in 2 patients (20 %), as well as in 2 patients via salt-split studies. We found reactivity to the extracellular fragment of BP180 (LAD-1) in 3 patients, 2 of them via IgA and 1 with IgG. The serum of only 2 patients recognized the NC16A fragment, and 4 of the 5 patients had antibodies against the carboxy-terminal domain BP180 4575.


CONCLUSIONS
Molecular biology techniques are very important to complement the diagnosis of MMP, especially when the results of hematoxylin-eosin or IF studies are not satisfactory for a diagnosis of MMP.
Departamento de Dermatología, Clínica Universitaria de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain. aespana@unav.es
Agustín
A
España
Julio
J
del Olmo
Miren
M
Marquina
Cassian
C
Sitaru
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000276:immunology*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D024041:Non-Fibrillar Collagens; D010390:Pemphigoid, Benign Mucous Membrane / Q000276:immunology*; D000097805:Collagen Type XVII
D001324:Autoantigens; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D024041:Non-Fibrillar Collagens; D000097805:Collagen Type XVII