Panminerva Medica 2020 Jun 12

DOI: 10.23736/S0031-0808.20.03997-X

Copyright © 2020 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Eosinophils in Bullous Pemphigoid

Virginia A. JONES, Payal M. PATEL, Kyle T. AMBER ✉

Department of Dermatology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is an autoimmune blistering disorder with substantial morbidity and mortality. BP is regarded as a disorder driven by IgG due to BP180 and BP230 IgG autoantibodies, yet, new advances highlight the function of eosinophils and IgE autoantibodies in BP. Evidence supports that eosinophils are involved in BP pathogenesis, notably, these include the presence of IL-5, eotaxin, and eosinophil-colony stimulating factor in blister fluid, peripheral blood eosinophilia is present in nearly 50% of affected patients, eosinophils are found against the dermo-epidermal junction (DEJ) when BP serum is present, metalloprotease-9 is secreted by eosinophils at blister sites, blister fluid of BP patients contains eosinophil granule proteins which are located along the lamina lucida of the BMZ in patients with BP and correspond with disease clinically, eosinophil extracellular traps (EET) have been linked to DEJ splitting, IL-5 activated eosinophils cause DEJ separation when BP serum is present, and eosinophils are requisite to drive anti-BP180 IgE mediated blistering of the skin. Yet, the mechanism whereby eosinophils contribute to the pathogenesis of BP remains to be explored. In this review, we examine the role of eosinophils in BP while offering a basis to explain the pathomechanisms of eosinophils in BP.

KEY WORDS: Bullous pemphigoid; Eosinophils; Eosinophilia; Major basic protein; Eosinophil cationic protein; Pruritus; Cytokines