040 Single B-cell receptor profiling indicates selective self-reactivity in pemphigus vulgaris

Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is a potentially fatal blistering disease caused by autoantibodies to desmoglein 3 (Dsg3). Several autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and myasthenia gravis, have defective central and/or peripheral B cell tolerance checkpoints, leading to an accumulation of polyreactive B cells that is thought to provide the first hit toward the development of autoimmunity. We investigated whether PV patients have intact tolerance checkpoints to self-antigens other than Dsg3, which would differentiate the mechanism of autoimmunity in PV from those of other autoimmune diseases.
Source: Journal of Investigative Dermatology - Category: Dermatology Authors: Tags: Adaptive and Auto-Immunity Source Type: research