From anti-p200 pemphigoid to anti-laminin gamma1 pemphigoid

Anti-laminin gamma1 pemphigoid is an autoimmune subepidermal bullous disease first described in 1996, and has been distinct from previously known subepidermal blistering diseases, such as bullous pemphigoid and epidermolysis bullosa acquisita. Circulating autoantibodies of the patients do not react to any known autoantigen of the skin, but react to a 200-kDa molecule (p200) from dermal extracts. The identity of p200 was unmasked as laminin gamma1, an extracellular matrix glycoprotein composing several forms of laminin heterotrimers. We renamed this disease from the previously used anti-p200 pemphigoid to anti-laminin gamma1 pemphigoid, a new entity of an autoimmune bullous disease. In this decade, we have experienced over 70 cases of this disease. Although the number of the cases of anti-laminin gamma1 pemphigoid is half as many as the number of definitely diagnosed cases of epidermolysis bullosa acquisita in the same duration, a considerable number of the cases could be clinically misdiagnosed as epidermolysis bullosa acquisita. Unveiling the pathogenicity and development of a useful diagnostic method is necessary for appropriate management of this new disease.