Autoimmune Bullous Diseases

Marcel F. Jonkman is professor and chair of the department of Dermatology at the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG). Since 1992 he runs the Center for Blistering Diseases at the University, which is the only expertise center for autoimmune bullous diseases, epidermolysis bullosa, and other skin fragility disorders in the Netherlands. The center has its own laboratory for research and immunodiagnosis of blistering diseases. It provides weekly clinical services for patients with blistering diseases. Hundreds of patients with an autoimmune bullous disease from all over the country (16.920.510 inhabitants, 2015) have visited the center in all these years. The textbook is the effort of the senior staff and PhD's in Groningen who wrote this 'all-Groningen book'. The senior staff has gained years of experience in diagnosis and management of autoimmune bullous diseases, and reported their scientific findings in many publications. The annual Course on Blister Diseases in Groningen, that runs since the year 2000, provided much of the didactic structure used in this book. The photographers Siep Noorman and Piet Toonder signed for the excellent medical photographs that were selected from a digital image database with more than 250,000 images of dermatological disease.

Part I: Immunology and diagnostictests-B-cells,autoantibodies and isotypes.- Dermatological examination of bullous diseases.- Howto take a biopsy.- Directimmunofluorescence.-Indirect immunofluorescence.- Immunoblot.- ELISAtesting.- Part II: Pemphigus-Structure of desmosomes.- Pemphigus foliaceus.- Pemphigus vulgaris.- Paraneoplastic pemphigus.- IgA pemphigus.- Part III: Pemphigoids-Structure of hemidesmosomes and basementmembrane zone.- Cutaneouspemphigoid.- Mucous membrane pemphigoid.- Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita.- Bullous systemic lupuserythematosus.- Linear IgADisease.- Part IV: Otherinflammatory bullous diseases-Dermatitisherpetiformis.- Erythema multiforme.- Porphyria and pseudoporphyria.- Bullous dermatitis artefacta.- Part V:Resources-Patient supportgroups.- International centres for AIBD.