The pattern of immunostaining with antibodies to desmoglein can help identify separate patients who will probably recover from those who will probably not once the implicated drug is discontinued.
A large number of drugs have been implicated in causing drug-induced pemphigus:
(1) some contain a thiol group
(2) some have metabolites with a thiol group
(3) some contain a pyrazol group
(4) some are antibiotics
(5) others (diverse group)
There may be a time interval between when a person was given the drug and the appearance of the skin lesions. Since some of these drugs are widely used the relationship can become tenuous.
Antibody used for immunostaining: to desmogleins 1 and 3 (monoclonal 32-2B)
Pattern |
Features |
normal |
fine dots along the cytoplasmic membranes; a darker band is seen below the stratum corneum on low power |
patchy |
coarse granules along the cytoplasmic borders of keratinocytes; may be found in cells of adnexal structures (hair follicles and sweat glands) |
84% of patients with idiopathic pemphigus show a patchy pattern.
70% of patients with drug-induced pemphigus have a normal pattern. Most of these patients will recover if the implicated drug is discontinued.
30% of patients with drug-induced pemphigus have a patchy pattern. Most of these do not recover if the implicated drug is discontinued.
NOTE: There is a divergence between the data in Table 4 and the results given in column 1 on page 373 (in Table 4 there are 37 people with drug-induced pemphigus while in the text the numbers add up to 26).
Specialty: Dermatology, Clinical Laboratory, Immunology/Rheumatology
ICD-10: ,