The effects of X-ray, ultraviolet and infrared irradiation on the basement membrane zone antibody reaction of the human skin in vitro.

Two patients with bullous pemphigoid were treated with radio cobalt or betatron irradiation. Thereafter bullous eruptions developed in the non-irradiated skin. It is known from the literature that ultraviolet light applied to the normal-appearing skin of patients with bullous pemphigoid produced fresh histologic and immunohistochemical changes in the irradiated skin. X-ray irradiation applied to human skin biopsy specimens using single doses of 7 000 and 8 000 R resulted in an increase of basement membrane zone antibody binding of 2-3 titre dilution steps. An increase of 3-4 titre dilution steps was achieved by irradiation with ultraviolet light. Infrared irradiation of skin biopsy specimens, on the contrary, caused the total loss of the basement membrane zone fluorescence. It merits further study, whether these contrary effects on the basement membrane zone antibody binding of human skin in vitro (activation of bound antigen after X-ray or ultraviolet irradiation and inactivation of antigen caused by infrared irradiation) are of clinical value concerning the bullous pemphigoid problem in vivo.