Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity in bullous diseases.

Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) was studied in six patients with pemphigus vulgaris, six patients with bullous pemphigoid, and thirteen controls. All patients had extensive, severe disease. The target cell used was a human lymphoblastoid cell line (LA 237) coated with either heterologous (rabbit R3) or homologous (anti-HLA-A5) antiserum. The assay consisted of a 2-hour incubation of patient and control lymphocytes with target cells in a ratio of 50: 1 and measuring 51Cr release. Statistically significant changes were not observed between the patients and the controls. This study indicated that ADCC mechanisms are unaltered by the disease process in patients with pemphigus vulgaris and bullous pemphigoid.