title: Endemic pemphigus vulgaris.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Investigators from Brasilia, Brazil, observed several patients with a mucocutaneous disease that resembles pemphigus vulgaris clinically and histologically but with epidemiological features of fogo selvagem. Our objective was to characterize antidesmoglein 3 and antidesmoglein 1 autoantibody profiles in these unique patients who reside in Goiânia and Brasilia, Brazil, known endemic regions of fogo selvagem.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed serological evaluation of 8 patients with a mucocutaneous disease clinically and histologically consistent with pemphigus vulgaris, as well as 27 healthy relatives of patients with fogo selvagem who reside in these endemic areas. Serum samples from all 8 patients bound desmoglein 3 by cold immunoprecipitation and from 6 patients by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, while serum samples from 4 patients bound desmoglein 1 by cold immunoprecipitation and by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Antidesmoglein 3 autoantibodies were detected in 4 of 27 healthy donors by cold immunoprecipitation and by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, whereas antidesmoglein 1 autoantibodies were detected in 6 individuals by cold immunoprecipitation and in 3 individuals by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings provide serological evidence of a new endemic variant of pemphigus vulgaris.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Universidade Federal de Brasilia, Brasilia, Distrito Federal.
authors.forename: Rosicler
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rocha-Alvarez
authors.forename: Alex G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Ortega-Loayza
authors.forename: Horacio
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.forename: Iphis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Aoki
authors.forename: Evandro A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Rivitti
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dasher
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Luis A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Diaz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D051183:Desmoglein 1 / Q000276:immunology; D051184:Desmoglein 3 / Q000276:immunology; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010392:Pemphigus / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D051183:Desmoglein 1; D051184:Desmoglein 3