OBJECTIVE: To develop a practical technique to distinguish autoimmune subepidermal @entity66 . DESIGN: A prospective study. SETTING: Academic referral center-the Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Warsaw. @entity1 Forty-two @entity1 fulfilling clinical, immunological, and/or immunoelectron microscopic criteria for bullous pemphigoid (n = 31), mucous membrane pemphigoid (n = 6), or @entity27889 (n = 5), diagnosed as having disease and treated from January 1, 1997, to December 31, 2002. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We applied laser scanning confocal microscopy to determine the localization of in vivo-bound IgG at the basement membrane zone in biopsy specimens taken from @entity1 ' skin to compare the localization of basement membrane zone markers: antibody against beta4 integrin, antibody against laminin 5, and antibody against type IV collagen. In vivo-bound IgG was visualized by labeling with @entity2822 -conjugated anti-human IgG antibody, whereas basement membrane zone markers were labeled with anti-mouse Cy5-conjugated antibodies. RESULTS: In @entity1 with bullous pemphigoid, in vivo-bound IgG was localized on the epidermal side of laminin 5 and co-localized with beta4 integrin. In @entity1 with mucous membrane pemphigoid, IgG was in vivo bound to the dermal-epidermal junction between localization of laminin 5 and type IV collagen. In @entity1 with @entity27889 , in vivo-bound IgG was present on the dermal side of type IV collagen. CONCLUSIONS: Laser scanning confocal microscopy allows precise localization of in vivo-bound IgG in @entity1 ' skin and, thus, it is a rapid method for the differentiation of mucous membrane pemphigoid from bullous pemphigoid and @entity27889 . This tool is suitable for the routine diagnosis of individual @entity1 and for retrospective studies. This method is of special value in those @entity1 in whom circulating autoantibodies are not detectable.

A practical technique for differentiation of subepidermal XXXX : localization of in vivo-bound IgG by laser scanning confocal microscopy.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['Patients', 'patients'] @entity2822 :: ('CHEBI:37926', 'Chemical') :: ['fluorescein isothiocyanate'] @entity66 :: ('MESH:D004194', 'Disease') :: ['bullous diseases'] @entity27889 :: ('MESH:D016107', 'Disease') :: ['epidermolysis bullosa acquisita']
@entity66 :: (MESH:D004194,Disease) :: ['bullous diseases']
