In vitro acantholysis induced by D-penicillamine, captopril, and piroxicam on dead de-epidermized dermis.

Drug-induced pemphigus has been recognized for 20 years, but the mechanisms leading to acantholysis are still unclear. It has recently been demonstrated that penicillamine, captopril, and thiopronin may produce acantholytic lesions, either by direct toxic or biochemical effect, in human skin explants. Our work confirms that penicillamine and captopril may induce acantholysis on the model of keratinocyte culture on dead, de-epidermized dermis. Moreover, it demonstrates that piroxicam, a new non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, of which one side effect is a pemphigus vulgaris-like eruption, is also able to produce in vitro acantholysis.