title: The utility of the DNA microarray scanner to simplify the immunofluorescence evaluation of autoimmune bullous diseases.
abstract: A DNA microarray scanner was used as a digital fluorescence microscope to simplify the diagnosis of autoimmune bullous diseases. Frozen sections of skin biopsies were taken from 3 patients with bullous pemphigoid and 1 patient each with lichen planus pemphigoides, linear immunoglobulin (Ig) A disease, and dermatitis herpetiformis. After incubation with cyanine-labeled antibodies, the tissues were scanned at 5-mum resolution using an instrument originally designed to study gene expression. The microarray scanner's large field of view, unlike that of fluorescence microscopy, allowed a view of the entire specimen, considerably easing the orientation of tissue. All images were diagnostic and included a linear pattern along the basement membrane zone (BMZ) using anti-IgG and anti-C3 in all cases of bullous pemphigoid, a linear pattern of IgG along the BMZ in lichen planus pemphigoides, and a linear pattern of IgA along the BMZ in linear IgA dermatosis. IgA deposition along dermal papillary tips was seen in dermatitis herpetiformis, but a granular pattern was indiscernible at the 5-mum resolution. The advantages of the microarray scanner over standard fluorescence microscopy include speed, technical ease, large field of view, potential for visualizing multiple antibodies simultaneously in a tissue, and convenience of digital image archiving.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Skin Surgery, Roger Williams Medical Center, Providence, RI 02908, USA. siwamoto@rwmc.org
authors.forename: Satori
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iwamoto
authors.forename: Alex T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Iwamoto
authors.forename: Jisun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cha
authors.forename: Todd
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Breen
authors.forename: Jag
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bhawan
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Falanga
mesh_terms: D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D001706:Biopsy; D002232:Carbocyanines; D003176:Complement C3 / Q000032:analysis; D003874:Dermatitis Herpetiformis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D004867:Equipment Design; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D008010:Lichen Planus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000295:instrumentation*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation*; D010391:Pemphigoid, Bullous / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D012872:Skin Diseases, Vesiculobullous / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D002232:Carbocyanines; D003176:Complement C3; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; C089187:cyanine dye 3; C085321:cyanine dye 5