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Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Granulocyte-dependent Autoantibody-induced Skin Blistering
Published on: October 12, 2012
[Pemphigus diseases in children and adolescents]
1Klinik und Poliklinik für Dermatologie, Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus der Technischen Universität Dresden, Dresden. Michael.Meurer@uniklinikum-dresden.de
Abstract:
The pemphigus diseases, which include some of the most severe bullous autoimmune skin reactions, are seen predominantly in middle-aged and elderly individuals. Only endemic pemphigus foliaceus in South America most frequently affects juveniles and children. All non-endemic pemphigus diseases, including paraneoplastic pemphigus, have been reported to occur in adolescents and even very rarely in children younger than 10 years. Pemphigus vulgaris in pregnancy represents a frequently overseen medical problem and may result in fetal growth retardation, intrauterine death, premature delivery and - in about 30% - in neonatal pemphigus vulgaris of the newborn. Contrary to pemphigus vulgaris, the transplacental crossing of autoantibodies against desmoglein1 in pregnant women with pemphigus foliaceus hardly ever leads to neonatal skin lesions in the offspring. This phenomenon can be explained by differences in the distribution and cross-compensation of the pemphigus antigens desmoglein3 and 1 in neonatal and adult skin or mucosa, respectively.
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