The Caspase Pathway as a Possible Therapeutic Target in Experimental Pemphigus

Figure 1

(a) Patient with pemphigus vulgaris showing extensive blistering in trunk and mouth. (b) Skin biopsy stained with H&E showing intraepidermal blister (double arrow) and acantholytic cells (arrow). (c) Patient sera showed antiepithelial antibodies using indirect immunofluorescence. (d) Intraepidermal blister showing that apoptotic cells (green) detected using TUNEL and counterstained with propidium iodide were present in the lesional area (square). (e) Isolation of pemphigus IgG using affinity chromatography. The chromatogram shows that the IgG peak was in fractions 7–9. OD: optical density. The bottom panel shows an SDS-PAGE gel of the eluted fractions.