Pemphigus

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Inhibitory effects of heat shock protein 90 blockade on proinflammatory human Th1 and Th17 cell subpopulation

Targeting IgE Antibodies by Immunoadsorption in Atopic Dermatitis

One major hallmark of atopic dermatitis (AD) is the elevated level of total serum IgE, which has been reported to be partly of the autoreactive type in a subset of patients. Immunoadsorption (IA) has been successfully applied in various classical autoantibody-mediated diseases such as pemphigus. Recent reports proposed the use of IA also for patients with severe AD and high total serum IgE levels. In this mini-review, we summarize the current knowledge about this novel treatment approach for AD and briefly discuss the so far incompletely known role of autoreactive IgE as potential target of IA therapy in this common inflammatory skin disorder

Systemic sclerosis - dermatological aspects. Part 1: Pathogenesis, epidemiology, clinical findings

Systemic sclerosis is a chronic inflammatory multiorgan disease belonging to the group of collagen-vascular disorders. With a prevalence of 10/100,000 inhabitants it may be regarded a rather rare disease. Its etiology and pathogenesis have still not been elucidated in detail, especially with regard to the differential involvement of skin and the cause of the clinically heterogeneous disease courses. Various components of the vasculature, connective tissue as well as the immune system are involved in a yet unknown sequence and significance. Patients need to be cared for in an interdisciplinary fashion depending on the individual organ involvement. Apart from the skin, the heart, kidneys and lungs are mainly affected in addition to frequent gastrointestinal and musculoskeletal symptoms. Clinically two distinct subsets may be separated, acral (also termed limited) and diffuse scleroderma, which are characterized by anti-centromere and anti-Scl-70/topoisomerase-1 antibodies, respectively. Recent data demonstrate a poor prognosis even in limited disease when pulmonary arterial hypertension develops at an early stage. In diffuse disease sudden and rapid onset will result in a sclerosis of major internal organs and early death in many cases