Clinico-immunologic correlations in pemphigus and bullous pemphigoid.

Specific immunopathologic data can be found in 95% of patients with pemphigus vulgaris and in 70% of patients with bullous pemphigoid. Antibodies in pemphigus vulgaris can belong to different classes of immunoglobulins and can be destroyed by immunosuppression. Twenty percent of the pemphigus patients had differing results suggesting early recurrence of disease. In patients with bullous pemphigoid, there is great variability in anti-basal zone antibodies. When the disease clears, there is still a wide range of immunologic patterns.