Yonsei Med J.  1998 Aug;39(4):339-344. 10.3349/ymj.1998.39.4.339.

Complement-fixing abilities and IgG subclasses of autoantibodies in epidermolysis bullosa acquisita

• Cho HJ
• Lee IJ
• Kim SC

• KMID: 711567
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.1998.39.4.339

Abstract

Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA) is an autoimmune-mediated subepidermal bullous disease in which the target of the autoantibodies is type VII collagen, a major component of anchoring fibrils. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the complement-fixing abilities and IgG subclass distribution of autoantibodies in EBA, and to also attempt to investigate the relation between inflammation, complement fixation and IgG subclass distribution in EBA patients. Only 2 sera of 18 patients (11%) showed weak complement-fixing abilities. IgG1 and IgG4 were the most frequently and intensely stained IgG subclasses in EBA sera. We could not find any relationship between the clinico-pathologic types, complement-fixing abilities and IgG subclasses in EBA. These results suggested that complement activation may not be a key factor of bulla formation in EBA.

Keyword

EBA; complement-fixing ability; IgG subclasses

MeSH Terms

Adult
Autoantibodies/classification*
Complement/immunology*
Epidermolysis Bullosa Acquisita/immunology*
Female
Fluorescent Antibody Technique
Human
IgG/classification*
Male
Middle Age