[Stimulation of autoantibody formation in pemphigoid due to proteolytic enzymes?]

Following brief exposure of cryostat sections of human skin to proteolytic enzymes (papain or trypsin), there is an increase in the antibody binding capacity of the basement membrane zone for basement membrane zone antibodies of patients with bullous pemphigoid. In conjunction with findings published in the literature, our results indicate that activation of the basement membrane zone antigens by proteolytic enzymes is associated with an increase in antigenicity which results in the formation of auto-antibodies of the basement membrane zone antibody type.