This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Preliminary Evaluation of Pemphigus Antibody Determinations to Regulate Therapy

Sean O'Loughlin, MD; Gerald C. Goldman, MD; Thomas T. Provost, MD

Arch Dermatol. 1978;114(12):1769-1772.

Abstract
• Six of 17 pemphigus patients (35%) treated during a six-year period with immunosuppressive agents and/or corticosteroids have had prolonged clinical and immunologic remissions off all therapy. All were treated until serum and tissue bound pemphigus antibodies could no longer be detected. The length of remission has ranged from 1 years to 4 years. Three of these six patients relapsed after being clinically and serologically free of pemphigus for 19, 20, and 48 months. Seven additional patients are clinically free of disease with insignificant pemphigus antibody titers of 10 or less. Therapy now is being discontinued gradually in these patients.

This preliminary study demonstrates that (1) a large percentage of pemphigus patients may have a prolonged clinical and immunological remission after successful therapy; (2) maintenance therapy may not be required to preserve the remission; (3) monitoring serum and in vivo bound pemphigus antibody is of value in regulating therapy in pemphigus patients.

(Arch Dermatol 114:1769-1772, 1978)

Author Affiliations
From the Department of Dermatology, State University of New York at Buffalo (Drs O'Loughlin and Provost). Dr Goldman is in private practice in St Petersburg, Fla. Dr Provost is currently with the Department of Dermatology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Good Samaritan Hospital, Baltimore.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication Aug 28, 1978.

Reprint requests to Good Samaritan Hospital, Department of Dermatology, Loch Raven Blvd, Baltimore, MD 21239 (Dr Provost).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Cutaneous Drug Reactions
Svensson et al.
Pharmacol. Rev. 2001;53:357-379.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Desmoglein 3-ELISA: A Pemphigus Vulgaris-Specific Diagnostic Tool
Lenz et al.
Arch Dermatol 1999;135:143-148.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Complement and Antibody Deposition in Brazilian Pemphigus Foliaceus and Correlation of Disease Activity With Circulating Antibodies
de Messias et al.
Arch Dermatol 1988;124:1664-1668.
ABSTRACT  

Commentary: Clinical Importance of Autoantibodies in Pemphigus
Tuffanelli
Arch Dermatol 1982;118:844-845.
ABSTRACT  

Coexisting Childhood Pemphigus Foliaceus and Graves' Disease
Levine et al.
Arch Dermatol 1982;118:602-604.
ABSTRACT  

Acanthosis Nigricans Developing in Resolving Lesions of Pemphigus Vulgaris
Coverton and Armstrong
Arch Dermatol 1982;118:115-116.
ABSTRACT  

Pemphigus Vulgaris: Superior Sensitivity of Monkey Esophagus in the Determination of Pemphigus Antibody
Feibelman et al.
Arch Dermatol 1981;117:561-562.
ABSTRACT  

Pemphigus: Current Concepts
AHMED et al.
ANN INTERN MED 1980;92:396-405.
ABSTRACT