IMMUNOFLUORESCENT ANTIBODY STUDIES IN DERMATITIS HERPETIFORMIS

Abstract

SUMMARY.— Antibody reacting at low titres with the basement membrane zone of jejunal mucosa was detected in the sera of eight patients with dermatitis herpetiformis, using an indirect immunofluorescent staining technique. Five of these sera reacted with normal jejunal mucosa, and with abnormal jejunal mucosa from patients with dermatitis herpetiformis. Three other sera reacted only with mucosa from dermatitis herpetiformis. Direct immunofluorescent staining revealed the presence of fixed γ-globulin in the basement membrane zone of jejunal mucosa from 4 patients with dermatitis herpetiformis.