Abstract
Bullous autoimmune dermatoses are the result of an autoantibody-driven immune response against structural proteins of the skin. The cause of autoantibody formation is largely unknown. Three disease groups of bullous autoimmune dermatoses are distinguished, which differ clearly in pathogenesis and clinical picture, although they all typically manifest with inflammatory blisters of the skin: pemphigus and pemphigoid diseases, as well as dermatitis herpetiformis (Duhring’s disease). In pemphigus diseases, autoantibodies are formed against desmosomal adhesion proteins that mediate epidermal cell–cell contact. This leads to intraepidermal blister formation. In contrast, in pemphigoid diseases the blisters are subepidermal and are caused by autoantibodies against hemidesmosomal structural proteins or anchoring fibrils of the dermo-epidermal junction zone with subsequent recruitment of granulocytes into the skin.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Pemphigus Diseases
Ahmed AR, Spigelman Z, Cavacini LA et al (2006) Treatment of pemphigus vulgaris with rituximab and intravenous immune globulin. N Engl J Med 355:1772–1779
Amagai M, Klaus-Kovtun V, Stanley JR (1991) Autoantibodies against a novel epithelial cadherin in pemphigus vulgaris, a disease of cell adhesion. Cell 67:869–877
Amagai M, Tsunoda K, Zillikens D et al (1999) The clinical phenotype of pemphigus is defined by the anti-desmoglein autoantibody profile. J Am Acad Dermatol 40:167–170
Amagai M, Ahmed AR, Kitajima Y et al (2006) Are desmoglein autoantibodies essential for the immunopathogenesis of pemphigus vulgaris, or just “witnesses of disease”. Exp Dermatol 15:815–831
Amagai M, Ikeda S, Shimizu H et al (2009) A randomized double-blind trial of intravenous immunoglobulin for pemphigus. J Am Acad Dermatol 60:595–603
Amber KT, Maglie R, Solimani F, Eming R, Hertl M (2018) Targeted therapies for autoimmune bullous diseases: current status. Drugs 78(15):1527–1548. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40265-018-0976-5.Drugs
Anhalt GJ, Labib RS, Voorhees JJ et al (1982) Induction of pemphigus in neonatal mice by passive transfer of IgG from patients with the disease. N Engl J Med 306:1189–1196
Beissert S, Werfel T, Frieling U et al (2006) A comparison of oral methylprednisolone plus azathioprine or mycophenolate mofetil for the treatment of pemphigus. Arch Dermatol 142(11):1447–1454
Chams-Davatchi C, Esmaili N, Daneshpazhooh M et al (2007) Randomized controlled open-label trial of four treatment regimens for pemphigus vulgaris. J Am Acad Dermatol 57:622–628
Chan LS, Vanderlugt CJ, Hashimoto T et al (1998) Epitope spreading: lessons from autoimmune skin diseases. J Invest Dermatol 110:103–109
Diaz LA, Sampaio SA, Rivitti EA et al (1989) Endemic pemphigus foliaceus (fogo selvagem). I. Clinical features and immunopathology. J Am Acad Dermatol 20:657–669
Didona D, Maglie R, Eming R, Hertl M (2019) Pemphigus: current and future therapeutic strategies. Front Immunol 10:1418. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2019.01418
Gelding D (1992) Intraepidermal IgA pustulosis. J Am Acad Dermatol 27:993–1000
Hashimoto T, Kiyokawa C, Mori O et al (1997) Human desmocollin 1 (Dsc1) is an autoantigen for the subcorneal pustular dermatosis type of IgA pemphigus. J Invest Dermatol 109:127–131
Hébert V, Boulard C, Houivet E, Duvert Lehembre S, Borradori L, Della Torre R, Feliciani C, Fania L, Zambruno G, Camaioni DB, Didona B, Marinovic B, Schmidt E, Schumacher N, Hünefeld C, Schanz S, Kern JS, Hofmann S, Bouyeure AC, Picard-Dahan C, Prost-Squarcioni C, Caux F, Alexandre M, Ingen-Housz-Oro S, Bagot M, Tancrede-Bohin E, Bouaziz JD, Franck N, Vabres P, Labeille B, Richard MA, Delaporte E, Dupuy A, D’Incan M, Quereux G, Skowro F, Paul C, Livideanu CB, Beylot-Barry M, Doutre MS, Avenel-Audran M, Bedane C, Bernard P, Machet L, Maillard H, Jullien D, Debarbieux S, Sassolas B, Misery L, Abasq C, Dereure O, Lagoutte P, Ferranti V, Werth VP, Murrell DF, Hertl M, Benichou J, Joly P, French Study Group on Autoimmune Bullous Skin Diseases, Autoimmune Bullous Skin Disease Task Force of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (2019) Large international validation of ABSIS and PDAI pemphigus severity scores. J Invest Dermatol 139(1):31–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jid.2018.04.042
Hertl M, Eming R, Veldman C (2006) T cell control in autoimmune bullous skin disorders. J Clin Invest 116:1159–1166
Hertl M, Jedlickova H, Karpati S et al (2015) Pemphigus. S2 guideline for diagnosis and treatment – guided by the European Dermatology Forum (EDF) in cooperation with the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV). J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 29:405–414
Ioannides D, Chrysomallis F, Bystryn JC (2000) Ineffectiveness of cyclosporine as an adjuvant to corticosteroids in the treatment of pemphigus. Arch Dermatol 136(7):868–872
Jolly PS, Berkowitz P, Bektas M et al (2010) p38 MAPK signaling and desmoglein-3 internalization are linked events in pemphigus acantholysis. J Biol Chem 285:8936–8941
Joly P, Mouquet H, Roujeau JC et al (2007) A single cycle of rituximab for the treatment of severe pemphigus. N Engl J Med 357:545–552
Joly P, Maho-Vaillant M, Prost-Squarcioni C, Hebert V, Houivet E, Calbo S et al (2017) First-line rituximab combined with short-term prednisone versus prednisone alone for the treatment of pemphigus (Ritux 3): a prospective, multicentre, parallel-group, open-label randomised trial. Lancet 389(10083):2031–2040
Kasperkiewicz M, Ellebrecht CT, Takahashi H, Yamagami J, Zillikens D, Payne AS et al (2017) Pemphigus. Nat Rev Dis Primers 3:17026
Kridin K, Patel PM, Jones VA et al (2020) A systematic review. J Am Acad Dermatol 82(6):1386–1392
Murrell DF, Dick S, Ahmed AR, Amagai M, Barnadas MA, Borradori L et al (2008) Consensus statement on definitions of disease, end points, and therapeutic response for pemphigus. J Am Acad Dermatol 58(6):1043–1046. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2008.01.012
Murrell DF, Peña S, Joly P, Marinovic B, Hashimoto T, Diaz LA, Sinha AA, Payne AS, Daneshpazhooh M, Eming R, Jonkman MF, Mimouni D, Borradori L, Kim SC, Yamagami J, Lehman JS, Saleh MA, Culton DA, Czernik A, Zone JJ, Fivenson D, Ujiie H, Wozniak K, Akman-Karakaş A, Bernard P, Korman NJ, Caux F, Drenovska K, Prost-Squarcioni C, Vassileva S, Feldman RJ, Cardones AR, Bauer J, Ioannides D, Jedlickova H, Palisson F, Patsatsi A, Uzun S, Yayli S, Zillikens D, Amagai M, Hertl M, Schmidt E, Aoki V, Grando SA, Shimizu H, Baum S, Cianchini G, Feliciani C, Iranzo P, Mascaró JM Jr, Kowalewski C, Hall R, Groves R, Harman KE, Marinkovich MP, Maverakis E, Werth VP (2020) Diagnosis and management of pemphigus: recommendations of an international panel of experts. J Am Acad Dermatol 82(3):575–585.e1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2018.02.021
Nguyen VT, Ndoye A, Shultz LD et al (2000) Antibodies against keratinocyte antigens other than desmogleins 1 and 3 can induce pemphigus vulgaris-like lesions. J Clin Invest 106:1467–1479
Pfutze M, Niedermeier A, Hertl M et al (2007) Introducing a novel Autoimmune Bullous Skin Disorder Intensity Score (ABSIS) in pemphigus. Eur J Dermatol 17:4–11
Pollmann R, Schmidt T, Eming R, Hertl M (2018) Pemphigus: a comprehensive review on pathogenesis, clinical presentation and novel therapeutic approaches. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol 54(1):1–25. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12016-017-8662-z.Clin
Schmidt E, Kasperkiewicz M, Joly P (2019) Pemphigus. Lancet 394(10201):882–894
Stanley JR, Amagai M (2006) Pemphigus, bullous impetigo, and the staphylococcal scalded-skin syndrome. N Engl J Med 355:1800–1810
Zillikens D, Derfler K, Dormann D et al (2007) Recommendations for the use of immunoapheresis in the treatment of autoimmune bullous dermatosis. J Ger Dermatol Ges 5:881–888
Pemphigoid Diseases
Chan LS, Ahmed AR, Anhalt GJ et al (2002) The first international consensus on mucous membrane pemphigoid: definition, diagnostic criteria, pathogenic factors, medical treatment, and prognostic indicators. Arch Dermatol 138:370–379
Dilling A, Rose C, Hashimoto T et al (2007) Anti-p200 pemphigoid: a novel autoimmune subepidermal blistering disease. J Dermatol 34:1–8
Feliciani C, Joly P, Jonkman MF, Zambruno G, Zillikens D, Ioannides D et al (2015) Management of bullous pemphigoid: the European Dermatology Forum consensus in collaboration with the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. Br J Dermatol 172(4):867–877
Foster CS (1986) Cicatricial pemphigoid. Trans Am Ophthalmol Soc 84:527–663
Gammon WR, Briggaman RA, Woodley DT et al (1984) Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita – a pemphigoid-like disease. J Am Acad Dermatol 11:820–832
Gammon WR, Woodley DT, Dole KC et al (1985) Evidence that anti-basement membrane zone antibodies in bullous eruption of systemic lupus erythematosus recognize epidermolysis bullosa acquisita autoantigen. J Invest Dermatol 84:472–476
Goletz S, Hashimoto T, Zillikens D, Schmidt E (2014) Anti-p200 pemphigoid. J Am Acad Dermatol 71(1):185–191
Hübner F, Recke A, Zillikens D et al (2016) Prevalence and age distribution of pemphigus and pemphigoid diseases. J Invest Dermatol 136:2495–2498. https://doi.org/S0022-202X:32122-32124
Joly P, Roujeau JC, Benichou J et al (2002) A comparison of oral and topical corticosteroids in patients with bullous pemphigoid. N Engl J Med 346:321–327
Khumalo NP, Murrell DF, Wojnarowska F et al (2002) A systematic review of treatments for bullous pemphigoid. Arch Dermatol 138:385–389
Kirtschig G, Murrell D, Wojnarowska F et al (2002) Interventions for mucous membrane pemphigoid/cicatricial pemphigoid and epidermolysis bullosa acquisita: a systematic literature review. Arch Dermatol 138:380–384
Maglie R, Hertl M (2019) Pharmacological advances in pemphigoid. Curr Opin Pharmacol 46:34–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coph.2018.12.007
Murrell DF, Daniel BS, Joly P, Borradori L, Amagai M, Hashimoto T et al (2012) Definitions and outcome measures for bullous pemphigoid: recommendations by an international panel of experts. J Am Acad Dermatol 66(3):479–485
Nishie W, Sawamura D, Goto M et al (2007) Humanization of autoantigen. Nat Med 13:378–383
Rzany B, Partscht K, Jung M et al (2002) Risk factors for lethal outcome in patients with bullous pemphigoid: low serum albumin level, high dosage of glucocorticosteroids, and old age. Arch Dermatol 138:903–908
Schmidt E, Zillikens D (2013) Pemphigoid diseases. Lancet 381(9863):320–332
Schmidt E, Obe K, Brocker EB et al (2000) Serum levels of autoantibodies to BP180 correlate with disease activity in patients with bullous pemphigoid. Arch Dermatol 136:174–178
Setterfield J, Shirlaw PJ, Kerr-Muir M et al (1998) Mucous membrane pemphigoid: a dual circulating antibody response with IgG and IgA signifies a more severe and persistent disease. Br J Dermatol 138(4):602–610
Vodegel RM, Jonkman MF, Pas HH, de Jong MC (2004) U-serrated immunodeposition pattern differentiates type VII collagen targeting bullous diseases from other subepidermal bullous autoimmune diseases. Br J Dermatol 151:112–118
Woodley DT, Briggaman RA, O’Keefe EJ et al (1984) Identification of the skin basement membrane autoantigen in epidermolysis bullosa acquisita. N Engl J Med 310:1007–1013
Zillikens D, Mascaro JM, Rose PA et al (1997) A highly sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of circulating anti-BP180 autoantibodies in patients with bullous pemphigoid. J Invest Dermatol 109:679–683
Zone JJ, Taylor TB, Meyer LJ et al (1998) The 97 kDa linear IgA bullous disease antigen is identical to a portion of the extracellular domain of the 180 kDa bullous pemphigoid antigen, BPAg2. J Invest Dermatol 110:207–210
Dermatitis Herpetiformis
Albers LN et al (2017) Rituximab treatment for recalcitrant dermatitis herpetiformis. JAMA Dermatol 153:315–318
Dieterich W, Laag E, Bruckner-Tuderman L et al (1999) Antibodies to tissue transglutaminase as serologic markers in patients with dermatitis herpetiformis. J Invest Dermatol 113:133–136
Green PH, Cellier C (2007) Celiac disease. N Engl J Med 357:1731–1743
Sardy M, Karpati S, Merkl B et al (2002) Epidermal transglutaminase (TGase 3) is the autoantigen of dermatitis herpetiformis. J Exp Med 195:747–757
Sigurgeirsson B, Agnarsson BA, Lindelof B (1994) Risk of lymphoma in patients with dermatitis herpetiformis. BMJ 308:13–15
First Describer
Anhalt GJ, Kim S, Stanley JR (1990) Paraneoplastic pemphigus: an autoimmune mucocutaneous disease associated with neoplasia. N Engl J Med 323:1729–1735
Asboe-Hansen G (1970) Diagnosis of pemphigus. Br J Dermatol 83(Suppl):81–92
Bean SF, Michel B, Furey N et al (1976) Vesicular pemphigoid. Arch Dermatol 112:1402–1404
Beutner EH, Jordon RE (1964) Demonstration of skin antibodies in sera of pemphigus vulgaris patients by indirect immunofluorescence staining. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 117:505–510
Brunsting LA, Perry HO (1957) Benign pemphigoid? A report of seven cases with chronic, scarring herpetiform plaques about the head and neck. Arch Dermatol 75:489–501
Bunel JBH (1811) Essai sur le pemphigus. Thèse de médecine de Paris no. 103
Cazenave P (1844) Pemphigus chronique, general; forme rare de pemphigus foliace; mort; autopsy; alteration du foie. Ann Mal Peau Syph 1:208–210
Chorzelski TP, Jablonska S (1979) IgA linear dermatosis of childhood (chronic bullous disease of childhood). Br J Dermatol 101:535–542
Cottini GB (1955) Dermatite herpetiforme de Duhring symetrique et localise aux genome et aux condes. Ann Dermatol Syph 82:285–286
Duhring LA (1884) Dermatitis herpetiformis. J Am Med Assoc 3:225–229
Eberhartinger C, Niebauer G (1961) Zur Prognose und Therapie des Pemphigus vulgaris und ähnlicher Erkrankungen. Hautarzt 12:503–508
Gammon WR, Briggaman RA (1993) Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita and bullous systemic lupus erythematosus. Diseases of autoimmunity to type VII collagen. Dermatol Clin 11:535–547
Gelding D, Foldès C, Cottenot F (1982) Pustulose sous-cornée, acantholyse superficielle et IgA monoclonale. Ann Dermatol Venereol 109:959–963
Hallopeau H (1889) Sur une nouvelle forme de dermatite pustuleuse chronique en foyers a progression excentrique. In: Congrès International de Dermatologie et de Syphiligraphie tenu à Paris (le session). Masson, Paris, pp 344–362
Huff JC, Golitz LE, Kunke KS (1985) Intraepidermal neutrophilic IgA dermatosis. N Engl J Med 313:1643–1645
Jablonska S, Chorzelski TP, Beutner EH et al (1975) Herpetiform pemphigus, a variable pattern of pemphigus. Int J Dermatol 14:353–359
Jordon RE, Beutner EH, Witebsky E et al (1967) Basement membrane antibodies in bullous pemphigoid. JAMA 200:751–756
Kaposi M (1892) Lichen ruber mit diffusen Erythemen und pemphigusartigen Blasen (am 25. November 1891 der Wiener Dermatologischen Geselleschaft demonstrirt (sic). Arch Dermatol Syph 24:344
Lever WF (1953) Pemphigus. Medicine 32:1–123
Levine N, Freilich A, Barland P (1979) Localized pemphigoid simulating dyshidrosiform dermatitis. Arch Dermatol 115:320–321
Milton J (1872) The pathology and treatment of diseases of the skin. Hardwicke, London, pp 205–209
Neumann I (1886) Ueber Pemphigus vegetans (frambosioides) (Hierzu die Tafeln VI, VII, VIII u. IX). Arch Dermatol Syph 18:157–178
Nikolsky PV (1896) Contribution à la question du pemphigus foliacé de Cazenave. Doctoral thesis, Kiev
Roenigk HH, Ryan JG, Bergfield WF (1971) Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita. Arch Dermatol 103(1):10
Schnyder U (1969) Pemphigoide séborrhéique. Entité nosologique nouvelle? Bull Soc Fr Dermatol Syphiligr 76:320
Senear FE, Usher B (1926) An unusual type of pemphigus. Arch Dermatol 13:761–781
Vieira JP (1940) Pemphigus foliaceus (fogo selvagem). Arch Dermatol 41:858–863
Wichman JE (1791) Beytrag zur Kenntnis des Pemphigus. Keyser, Erfurt
Winkelmann RK, Su WPD (1979) Pemphigoid vegetans. Arch Dermatol 115:446–448
Yung CW, Soltani K, Lorincz AL (1981) Pemphigoid nodularis. J Am Acad Dermatol 5:54–60
Zillikens D, Kawahara Y, Ishiko A et al (1996) A novel subepidermal blistering disease with autoantibodies against a 200-kDa antigen of the basement membrane zone. J Invest Dermatol 106:465–470
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Section Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2021 Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature
About this entry
Cite this entry
Sadik, C., Zillikens, D., Hertl, M. (2021). Autoimmune Bullous Diseases. In: Plewig, G., French, L., Ruzicka, T., Kaufmann, R., Hertl, M. (eds) Braun-Falco´s Dermatology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-58713-3_49-2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-58713-3_49-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-662-58713-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-662-58713-3
eBook Packages: Springer Reference MedicineReference Module Medicine
Publish with us
Chapter history
-
Latest
Autoimmune Bullous Diseases- Published:
- 02 September 2021
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-58713-3_49-2
-
Original
Autoimmune Bullous Diseases- Published:
- 29 July 2020
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-58713-3_49-1