title: Prevalence of stratified epithelium-specific antinuclear antibodies in 138 patients with lichen planus.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinological and Metabolic Sciences, Section of Dermatology, University of Genoa, Italy. aurora.parodi@unige.it
authors.forename: Aurora
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Parodi
authors.forename: Emanuele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cozzani
authors.forename: Cesare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Massone
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rebora
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Priano
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ghigliotti
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Balbi
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rongioletti
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Micalizzi
authors.forename: Rossella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cestari
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Varaldo
authors.forename: Gianfranco
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Barabino
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cannata
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Drago
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schiazza
authors.forename: Gianfranco
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Muzio
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Scaparro
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Alibrandi
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bandelloni
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ciaccio
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Desirello
authors.forename: Pier Mario
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Isola
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ottoboni
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rampini
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Santoro
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sorbara
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Virno
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear