Direct Immunofluorescent Study of the Skin on Occurrence of Complement in Pemphigus

In 6 cases of pemphigus (4 pemphigus vulgaris, 1 pemphigus vegetans and 1 pemphigus erythematosus) the direct immunofluorescent method (DIF) revealed various complement factors, as there are Clq, C4 (β1E), β1A and α2D, localized in the intercellular spaces of the epidermis of the skin or mucosa immediately next to the bulla. Immunoglobulin and complement were shown together in the prickle cell layer of the epidermis, while complement staining alone usually could be shown in the intercellular spaces of basal cell layers and in the junctional zone. The possibility that antibody‐mediated complement deposition and/or alternate pathway activation may play a role in the underlying mechanism in pemphigus is discussed.