Ann Dermatol.  2018 Oct;30(5):544-549. 10.5021/ad.2018.30.5.544.

Circulating Eosinophil and Neutrophil Counts Correlate with Disease Severity in Bullous Pemphigoid

• Park SH
• Lee SH
• Kim JH
• Kim SC

• KMID: 2419743
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5021/ad.2018.30.5.544

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is an autoimmune subepidermal blistering disease characterized by tissue-bound and circulating autoantibodies directed against BP180 and/or BP230 antigens. Various inflammatory cells are involved in the development of blister in BP.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between peripheral leukocyte counts and BP severity.
METHODS
We retrospectively included 60 patients with BP, who had not been treated with systemic steroid at the time of blood sampling. The patients were classified into two groups, those with admission history (admission group) and those without admission history (non-admission group). Disease severity was evaluated using three parameters: admission history, initial steroid dosage, and modified version of a pemphigus scoring system. We evaluated the correlation between peripheral leukocyte counts and disease severity measured by the three parameters.
RESULTS
The admission group showed a significant increase in disease severity measured by initial steroid dosage and severity score compared with the non-admission group. Additionally, the admission group had increased total leukocyte, eosinophil, and neutrophil counts. In the correlation study, the peripheral eosinophil and neutrophil counts showed positive correlation with BP severity evaluated by both initial steroid dosage and the pemphigus scoring system.
CONCLUSION
Peripheral eosinophil and neutrophil counts can be used as a marker in predicting disease severity in patients with BP.

Keyword

Bullous pemphigoid; Eosinophil; Leukocyte; Neutrophil

MeSH Terms

Autoantibodies
Blister
Eosinophils*
Humans
Leukocyte Count
Leukocytes
Neutrophils*
Pemphigoid, Bullous*
Pemphigus
Retrospective Studies
Statistics as Topic
Autoantibodies

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Difference in (A) initial methylprednisolone (MPD) dosage and (B) severity score calculated using the modified version of pemphigus scoring system between the admission and non-admission groups.

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  Fig. 2 Difference in (A) total white blood cell (WBC), (B) eosinophil, (C) neutrophil, and (D) lymphocyte counts between the admission and non-admission groups.

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  Fig. 3 Correlation between the peripheral (A) total WBC, (B) eosinophil, (C) neutrophil, and (D) lymphocyte counts and the initial steroid dosage in 60 patients with BP. WBC: white blood cell, BP: bullous pemphigoid, MPD: methylprednisolone.

• 

  Fig. 4 Correlation between the peripheral (A) total WBC, (B) eosinophil, (C) neutrophil, and (D) lymphocyte count and the severity scores in 44 patients with BP. WBC: white blood cell, BP: bullous pemphigoid.

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