Prevalence of stratified epithelium-specific antinuclear antibodies in 138 patients with lichen planus.
BACKGROUND
Antibodies to stratified epithelia characterize chronic ulcerative stomatitis, an entity that very closely resembles erosive lichen planus both clinically and histologically. These antibodies are directed against a 70-kd antigen.


OBJECTIVE
Our aim was to verify whether antibodies to stratified epithelia are present in patients with common lichen planus.


METHODS
One hundred thirty-eight patients with various forms of lichen planus were studied. Indirect immunofluorescence was performed on both monkey esophagus and HEp2-2000 cells. Immunoblotting was done with cultured keratinocytes used as the source antigen.


RESULTS
Nineteen patients had antibodies to stratified epithelia (in 9 directed against an antigen of 70 kd). Forty-eight patients had circulating antibodies detected by indirect immunofluorescence on both monkey esophagus and HEp2-2000 cells (in 7 directed against an antigen of 70 kd). Indirect immunofluorescence was positive only on HEp2-2000 cells in 21 patients. Indirect immunofluorescence was negative in 50 patients on both HEp2-2000 cells and monkey esophagus. None of the last 71 patients had antibodies directed to an antigen of 70 kd.


CONCLUSIONS
This is a serological study; results from direct immunofluorescence studies would be interesting.


CONCLUSIONS
Antibodies to stratified epithelia directed to an antigen of 70 kd are not exclusive to chronic ulcerative stomatitis, but are also present in some patients with lichen planus.
Parodi
Aurora
A
Department of Endocrinological and Metabolic Sciences, Section of Dermatology, University of Genoa, Italy. aurora.parodi@unige.it
Cozzani
Emanuele
E
Massone
Cesare
C
Rebora
Alfredo
A
Priano
Luigi
L
Ghigliotti
Giovanni
G
Balbi
Paolo
P
Rongioletti
Franco
F
Micalizzi
Claudia
C
Cestari
Rossella
R
Varaldo
Giuseppe
G
Barabino
Gianfranco
G
Cannata
Giuseppe
G
Drago
Francesco
F
Moreno
Vittorio
V
Schiazza
Luciano
L
Muzio
Gianfranco
G
Scaparro
Enrico
E
Alibrandi
Bruno
B
Bandelloni
Roberto
R
Ciaccio
Marina
M
Desirello
Giovanni
G
Isola
Pier Mario
PM
Ottoboni
Stefano
S
Rampini
Paolo
P
Santoro
Giuseppe
G
Sorbara
Stefania
S
Virno
Giovanni
G
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000032:analysis*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008010:Lichen Planus / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear