Possible triggering factors and comorbidities in newly diagnosed autoimmune bullous diseases

The distribution and the demographic, etiological, and clinical features of autoimmune bullous diseases (ABDs) vary according to geographic regions of the world. The limited number of reported studies in Turkey are mostly retrospective and generally include only pemphigus. The aim of our study was to evaluate the demographic data, clinical features, associated triggering factors, and comorbidities in patients newly diagnosed with ABDs.

In this descriptive and prospective study, the demographic data, inhabited regions, smoking and drinking habits, presence of comorbidities, and specific and general potential triggering factors of ABDs considered by the patients were examined. Furthermore, the distribution of lesions and autoimmune bullous skin disorder intensity scores were recorded.

Of the total 59 ABD patients, 26 (44.1%) were diagnosed with pemphigus, 25 (42.4%) were diagnosed with pemphigoid, and 8 (13.5%) were diagnosed with dermatitis herpetiformis. Although there were some differences between the subgroups of ABDs, the onset of the disease was associated with a triggering factor (stress, foods, physical trauma, chemical agents, ultraviolet rays, medications, infections, malignancies, and pregnancy, in a decreasing frequency) in 96.6% of the patients. Autoimmune diseases, neuropsychiatric disorders, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension were found to be statistically significantly higher in the pemphigoid group compared to the pemphigus and dermatitis herpetiformis groups.

Evaluation of triggering factors and comorbidities before starting treatment may assist in controlling the disease more swiftly and reducing the side effects of treatment in the management of ABDs. However, to evaluate the frequency and significance of our findings in order to determine whether they are statistically significant or not, we suggest a multicenter prospective clinical trial, which would include control groups and a higher number of patients for each of the disease groups and clinical subtypes.