Recent advancement on autoantigens, autoantibodies and inflammatory cells in subepidermal autoimmune bullous diseases

Subepidermal autoimmune bullous diseases (SABD) are some autoimmune skin diseases that can present in a variety of forms and can be a challenging disease to treat. An overview of the different forms of SABD are discussed including bullous pemphigoid (BP), epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA), cicatricial pemphigoid (CP), bullous systemic lupus erythematosus (BSLE), and Anti-p200 pemphigoid. Emphasis on recent advancement is presented. In recent years, improved knowledge of the mechanisms of intercellular and cell-matrix adhesion has led to better understanding of the blistering process in some SABD. Defects of such structures cause the subepidermal bullous diseases and have also led to the discovery of new diseases (e.g. anti-p200-pemphigoid). Recent studies have outlined the important role of autoantibodies, mast cell lymphocytes and their cytokines in pathogenesis of SABD.