DETECTION OF CANINE PEMPHIGUS FOLIACEUS AUTOANTIGEN BY IMMUNOBLOTTING

The antigens targeted by autoantibodies in sera from canine patients w ith pemphigus foliaceus (PF) were detected by indirect immunofluoresce nce and Western immunoblotting. The extracted proteins from canine ker atinocytes cultured in high-calcium condition for 48 h after confluenc y and from bovine nose epidermis were used as antigens in Western blot ting. Canine keratinocytes cultured in high-calcium condition showed f luorescent deposits in intercellular spaces by incubation with sera fr om both canine and human pemphigus patients. By Western blotting, eigh t out of 16 canine PF sera recognised 160 kDa protein. 85 kDa and 120 kDa proteins were also recognised by four to five canine PF sera, resp ectively. The 160 kDa band, recognised by eight canine PF sera, had an identical mobility to the protein identified by a human PF serum. The se results suggested that the autoantibodies in sera from canine PF re cognised the 160 kDa desmosomal proteins, which may correspond to the desmoglein 1. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.