title: Assessing the autoantibody levels in relation to disease severity and therapy response in pemphigus patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In pemphigus, autoantibodies are directed against adhesion molecules, which make the junctions between keratinocytes, and thus determining their level can reflect the disease activity.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study is to determine the clinical significance of the autoantibody levels in pemphigus management.
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinical features of 47 pemphigus vulgaris patients were assessed and patients' sera were investigated by indirect immunofluorescence using monkey esophagus as a substrate for autoantibody levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found a significant correlation between antibody titers and mucosal severity scores. Initial antibody titers of the patients with at least one mucosal lesion at the end of the first month of the therapy were found significantly higher than the patients who had no mucosal lesion. With the therapy, lesions resolved earlier than the antibody titers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with pemphigus, especially in cases who were not treated before, sera antibody levels are a valuable tool in evaluating disease severity and choosing initial treatment. In patients who had been taking any systemic treatment, it is difficult to make a relationship between antibody levels and disease severity, because therapy improves disease earlier than the antibody titers. However, estimating antibody levels can be helpful for clinicians in disease management, in reducing or ceasing treatment dosage and anticipating recurrence.
authors: Department of Dermatology, Rize Education and Research Hospital, Rize, Turkey.
authors: Deniz
authors: D
authors: Aksu
authors: Yavuz
authors: Y
authors: Peksari
authors: Ibrahim Etem
authors: IE
authors: Arica
authors: Erbak
authors: E
authors: Gurgey