Morphologic and Functional Evidence for Release of Mast-Cell Products in Bullous Pemphigoid

Abstract

We studied nine patients with bullous pemphigoid, a generalized cutaneous eruption, for evidence of mast-cell involvement during development of lesions. As in other reports, six of nine patients demonstrated a serum antibody directed against the epidermal basement-membrane zone. Direct immunofluorescence studies of lesions revealed depostion of immunoglobulin and complement proteins at the basement-membrane zone in six of nine and nine of nine patients, respectively.