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Bullous pemphigoid associated with silicosis
1Department of Dermatology, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, Japan. huekih@med.kawasaki-m.ac.jp
Dermatology (Basel, Switzerland)
|November 30, 2000
Summary
This is the first reported case of bullous pemphigoid (BP), an autoimmune blistering disease, associated with silicosis, a lung disease caused by silica dust inhalation. Treatment with steroids improved the patient's symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonology
- Dermatology
- Immunology
Background:
- Silicosis is frequently associated with autoimmune diseases like systemic sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.
- However, an association between silicosis and bullous pemphigoid (BP) has not been previously documented.
Observation:
- A 63-year-old Japanese patient with diagnosed silicosis presented with tense bullae, erosions, and macular pigmentation.
- The patient exhibited clinical and serological evidence of bullous pemphigoid.
Findings:
- Indirect immunofluorescence confirmed anti-basement-membrane-zone antibodies.
- Immunoblotting revealed reactivity to 230-kD BP antigen and the NC16a domain of 180-kD BP antigen.
Implications:
- This case report highlights a potential, previously unrecognized association between silicosis and bullous pemphigoid.
- Further research may elucidate shared etiological factors or pathomechanisms linking these conditions.