[In-vitro inhibition of collagenase activity in epidermolysis bullosa hereditaria dystrophica].

By means of a biological collagenase assay we estimated collagenolytic activity of the vesicular fluid of patients with epidermolysis bullosa hereditaria dystrophica. All the 5 examined patients showed increased collagenolysis. Inhibition studies were performed applying ethylendiaminetetraacetate inhibition 11,15%, normal human serum in 12.15% (means). o-Phenanthroline as well as erythromycine in an aequimolar ratio stopped the collagenolytic activity completely in the 5 specimen. It was the aim of our study to indicate that erythromycine, in contrast to other collagenase inhibitors relatively atoxic, is able to inhibit collagenase activity which is suggested to play a pathogenetic role in that disease.