Pemphigus and pemphigoid antibody production by pokeweed mitogen-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cell cultures in vitro.

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from pemphigus vulgaris and bullous pemphigoid patients produced antiepithelial antibodies in a pokeweed mitogen-stimulated in vitro cell culture system. Antiintercellular substance (ICS) antibodies were detected in supernatants of cell cultures from four of four pemphigus vulgaris patients by indirect immunofluorescence. Similarly, antibasement membrane (BM) antibodies were detected in supernatants of cell cultures from three of four bullous pemphigoid patients. No anti-ICS or anti-BM antibodies were detected in supernatants of cell cultures of six normal controls, although antinuclear antibodies were detected occasionally. This pokeweed mitogen-stimulated in vitro cell culture system is suggested as a model to study the role of defects in immunoregulation in the pathogenesis of pemphigus vulgaris and bullous pemphigoid.