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Bullous Pemphigoid

Medical Author: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

What is bullous pemphigoid?

Bullous pemphigoid is a skin disease characterized by tense blistering eruptions on the surface of the skin. Occasionally, the inner lining tissue of the mouth (mucous membrane tissue) can be involved. The condition is caused by antibodies and inflammation abnormally accumulating in a certain layer of the skin or mucous membranes. This layer of tissue is called the "basement membrane." These antibodies (immunoglobulins) bind to proteins in the basement membrane called hemidesmosomal BP antigens and this attracts cells of inflammation.

A majority of cases of bullous pemphigoid occur in people 50 years of age or older. While the cause is unknown, it is felt by some that an aging immune system may become activated in certain individuals with some genetic predisposition to develop bullous pemphigoid.




Next: What are symptoms of bullous pemphigoid? »

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Bullous Pemphigoid

Lupus »

What is lupus? What are the types of lupus?

Lupus is an autoimmune disease characterized by acute and chronic inflammation of various tissues of the body. Autoimmune diseases are illnesses that occur when the body's tissues are attacked by its own immune system. The immune system is a complex system within the body that is designed to fight infectious agents, such as bacteria and other foreign microbes. One of the ways that the immune system fights infections is by producing antibodies that bind to the microbes. Patients with lupus produce abnormal antibodies in their blood that target tissues within their own body rather than foreign infectious agents. Because the antibodies and accompanying cells of inflammation can affect tissues anywhere in the body, lupus has the potential to affect a variety of areas. Sometimes lupus can cause disease of the skin, heart, lungs, kidneys, joints, and/or nervous system. When only the skin is involved, the condit...

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