Immunopathological Study on Perilesional Pemphigus Skin

Abstract

Seven perilesional skin samples which appeared to be normal were obtained from patients with pemphigus and studied by means of direct immunofluorescence and horseradish peroxidase labeled antibody methods. Light microscopic observations revealed that in vivo bound IgG and C3 were localized in the intercellular cement substance region of the epidermis in both the direct immunofluorescence and horseradish peroxidase labeled antibody method in exactly the same fashion. Immunoelectronmicroscopic observations revealed that bound IgG and C3 were localized exclusively in the epidermal intercellular cement substance region, but not in any intracellular organellae, pinocytotic vesicles, cytosol, basal lamina or upper dermis. Bound IgG was detected in all seven cases. Bound C3 was detected in four of the seven cases. Both of these globulins were localized exclusively in the nondesmosomal and desmosomal epidermal intercellular cement substance region, apparently in the same fashion. It was suggested immunoelectronmicroscopically that not only IgG, but also the complement system might be involved in the formation of the skin lesion in pemphigus.

Ultrastructural localization of in vitro binding sites of circulating anti-basement membrane zone antibodies in bullous pemphigoid

“…Staining procedure. Indirect IP and CIP methods were performed according to the IIF and CIF methods described by Nishikawa et al (12) with slight modification for electron microscopic immuno peroxidase staining (9,13). Bricfly.…”

“…In thc present study, the immunoperoxidase method was used to mvestigate ultrastruc tural localization of the binding sites of anti-BMZ antibodies (BMZ-Ab) in vitro, according to the procedures described in the previous reports (3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11), with slight modifications, paying attention to the binding sites of both BMZ-Ab demonstrable by the indirect immunoperoxidase (IIP) method (IlP demonstrable BMZ-Ab) and complement lixing BMZ-Ab demonstrated with the complement immunoperoxidase (CIP) method (CF BMZ Ab) comparatively.…”