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Pemphigus vulgaris and infections: a retrospective study on 155 patients

Nafiseh Esmaili1, Hossein Mortazavi, Pedram Noormohammadpour

  • 1Autoimmune Bullous Diseases Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1199663911, Iran ; Department of Dermatology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1199663911, Iran.

Autoimmune Diseases
|July 12, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Pemphigus vulgaris patients face a high risk of infections, particularly Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Disease severity and diabetes significantly increase infection susceptibility.

Area of Science:

  • Dermatology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is an autoimmune blistering disease.
  • Immunosuppressive therapies used for PV increase infection risk.
  • Understanding infection prevalence in PV patients is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of infections in PV patients.
  • To identify common pathogenic agents causing infections in PV patients.
  • To explore factors associated with infection occurrence in PV.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective study of 155 PV patients (2009-2011).
  • Diagnosis confirmed by light microscopy and direct immunofluorescence.
  • Data collected via questionnaires.

Main Results:

  • 94 infections recorded among 155 PV patients.
  • Oral candidiasis (37 cases) and herpes simplex (15 cases) were common.
  • Infection risk correlated with disease severity, hospital admissions, and diabetes mellitus.

Conclusions:

  • PV severity and co-existing diabetes mellitus increase infection risk.
  • Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were the most frequent pathogens.
  • Prospective studies are recommended to further investigate infection patterns in PV.

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