Immunofluorescent follow-up studies in patients with bullous dermatoses

Basement zone antibody titres were studied in two patients with bullous pemphigoid over a period of 1-1/2 and 3-1/2 years. Titres remained almost constantly even after a complete healing of all lesions, without any treatment. Direct immunofluorescence revealed basement zone antibodies in one of these two patients when examined after healing had occurred. Three patients with bullous dermatoses showed pemphigus antibodies at the inception of the disease. Basement zone antibodies were present simultaneously in one patient. In the subsequent course of observation in the two other patients, pemphigus antibodies were replaced by basement zone antibodies and in one case by nuclear antibodies too. These findings make the pathogenetic import of these "auto-antibodies" difficult to understand.