Autoimmune Bullous Diseases

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.

Marcel F. Jonkman is professor and chair of the department of Dermatologyat the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG). Since 1992 he runs the Centerfor Blistering Diseases at the University, which is the only expertisecenter for autoimmune bullous diseases, epidermolysis bullosa, and other skinfragility disorders in the Netherlands. The center has its own laboratory forresearch and immunodiagnosis ofblistering diseases. It provides weekly clinical services for patients withblistering diseases. Hundreds of patients with an autoimmune bullous disease fromall over the country (16.920.510 inhabitants, 2015) have visited the center in allthese years.

The textbook is the effortof 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 autoimmunebullous diseases, and reported their scientific findings in many publications.The annual Course on Blister Diseases in Groningen, that runs since the year2000, provided much of the didactic structure used in this book. Thephotographers Siep Noorman and Piet Toonder signed for the excellent medical photographsthat were selected from a digital image database with more than 250,000 imagesof dermatological disease.