RESEARCH ARTICLE


A Case of Pemphigus Vulgaris with Serum Autoantibodies Binding Blood Cell Antigen(s) on Immunofluorescence: A Case Report



Alessandro Lanza1, 2, Felice Femiano1, 2, Giovanni Maria Gaeta1, Rossella Santoro2, Fernando Gombos1, 2, Nicola Cirillo*, 1, 2, 3
1 Regional Center on Craniofacial Malformations-MRI, 1st School of Medicine and Surgery, II University of Naples, 80138 Naples, Italy
2 Department of Odontostomatology, 1st School of Medicine and Surgery, II University of Naples, 80138 Naples, Italy
3 Department of Experimental Medicine, 1st School of Medicine and Surgery, II University of Naples, 80138 Naples, Italy


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Creative Commons License
© 2007 Lanza et al.

open-access license: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0), a copy of which is available at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

* Address correspondence to this author at the Department of Odontostomatology, Second University of Naples, Via Luigi de Crecchio, 7, 80138 Naples, Italy; E-mail:cirillo.sun@libero.it


Abstract

Patients with pemphigus vulgaris (PV) may develop autoimmunity against an array of non-desmoglein antigens, including keratinocyte acetylcholine receptors. The latter, along with yet unknown autoantigens, could participate to PV pathogenesis. Here, we report a case of PV developing autoimmunity against peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) antigens. The patient was poorly responsive to steroidal and immunosuppressive drugs. Although the role for this PBMC antigen has not been established, it could affect the behaviour of immune cells that regulate autoantibody production in PV. Deregulation of PBMC activity may therefore influence patient’s response to pharmacological therapy.