The following is a summary of “Clinical and immunoserological characteristics of anti-p200 pemphigoid: Comparisons of patients with epitope spreading and non-epitope spreading,” published in the August 2024 issue of Dermatology by Wang et al.
Anti-p200 pemphigoid is a rare skin blistering disorder where the link between immune system changes and disease characteristics remains unclear despite the frequent occurrence of epitope spreading.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to compare clinical and immunological features between anti-p200 pemphigoid patients with and without epitope spreading.
They involved 30 patients with anti-p200 pemphigoid (January 2015 to December 2022). The clinical and immunoserological features of anti-p200 pemphigoid were analyzed using combined immunoserological assays.
The results showed that epitope spreading occurred in 11 out of 30 patients (36.7%) with anti-p200 pemphigoid. Patients with epitope spreading had more varied clinical presentations (P=0.018), a greater incidence of mucosal involvement (P=0.003), higher Bullous Pemphigoid Disease Area Index (BPDAI) scores for skin erosions/blisters (P=0.018), mucosal erosions/blisters (P=0.001), activity (P=0.017) and total scores (P=0.022), and required a higher initial prednisone dose for disease management (P=0.040).
Investigators concluded that anti-p200 pemphigoid patients with epitope spreading exhibited more diverse clinical presentations, frequent mucosal involvement, and a more severe and persistent disease course, supporting the notion of disease susceptibility to epitope spreading.
Source: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ijd.17403
