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Updated: Aug 11, 2026
Technique of Conjunctival Biopsy and Direct Immunofluorescence for Diagnosing Mucous Membrane Pemphigoid
Published on: June 17, 2025
[Mucous membrane pemphigoid: IgG and IgA antibodies against the BP180 antigen]
Agustín España1, Julio del Olmo, Miren Marquina
1Departamento de Dermatología, Clínica Universitaria de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain. aespana@unav.es
Introduction:
Mucous membrane pemphigoid is a group of autoimmune bullous diseases, mediated by autoantibodies directed against different proteins in the dermoepidermal junction, including the BP180 antigen.
Patients, Material And Methods:
We included five patients with MMP in this study. We studied the presence of circulating autoantibodies against the BP180 antigen and against recombinant extracellular fragments of this protein.
Results:
We detected the presence of circulating antibodies against BP180 in all of the patients. Indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) studies were positive in 2 patients (20 %), as well as in 2 patients via salt-split studies. We found reactivity to the extracellular fragment of BP180 (LAD-1) in 3 patients, 2 of them via IgA and 1 with IgG. The serum of only 2 patients recognized the NC16A fragment, and 4 of the 5 patients had antibodies against the carboxy-terminal domain BP180 4575.
Conclusions:
Molecular biology techniques are very important to complement the diagnosis of MMP, especially when the results of hematoxylin-eosin or IF studies are not satisfactory for a diagnosis of MMP.
