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An Eosinophil Chemotactic Factor Present in Blister Fluids of Bullous Pemphigoid Patients

From the Department of Dermatology, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Sugao 2095, Takatsu-Ku, Kawasaki, 213, the Department of Orthopedic Surgery School of Medicine, Tokyo University, Tokyo and the Division of Clinical Immunology, First Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Kyushu, Fukuoka 812, Japan

Abstract

Tissue eosinophilia is often found in the inflammatory lesions of bullous pemphigoid. A study made on naturally occurring eosinophil chemotactic activity in the blister fluids of four bullous pemphigoid patients revealed the existence of this activity in all of them. Sephadex G-25 column chromatography showed that the greater part of this eosinophil chemotactic activity was composed of low molecular substance of which the molecular weight was close to that of vitamin B₁₂ (m.w. 1357).

The blister fluids and the sera of these patients contained elevated levels of IgE. An IgE anti-skin basement membrane antibody was found in two of the four sera, and deposits of IgE were detected along the basement membrane zone of the involved skin in one of the patients.

On the basis of these findings, we have reason to believe that an eosinophil chemotactic factor of anaphylaxis (ECF-A) participates in the accumulation of eosinophils in the lesions of bullous pemphigoid.

Footnotes

¹ Present address: Department of Dermatology, Yokohama City Univeristy School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan.

² Address requests for reprints to Dr. Motomichi Torisu, Division of Clinical Immunology, First Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Univeristy of Kyushu, Fukuoka 812, Japan.

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