High serum total IgE levels correlate with urticarial lesions and IgE deposition in perilesional skin of bullous pemphigoid patients: An observational study

Background In the pathophysiology of bullous pemphigoid, besides IgG, there has been evidence that supports the role of IgE antibodies. However, there have been no studies to evaluate total serum IgE levels or detect IgE deposits in the skin of Vietnamese patients. Aim To analyse the association between IgE levels in the serum and disease severity as well as eosinophils and IgE basement membrane zone (BMZ) deposition in Vietnamese bullous bullous pemphigoid patients. Methods A single-centre observational research on 35 newly diagnosed and untreated bullous bullous pemphigoid patients. Total serum IgE levels were analysed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). For controls, we collected sera of 30 pemphigus patients and 30 elderly patients with pruritus. Perilesional skin biopsies underwent direct immunofluorescence (DIF) staining, with biopsies of pemphigus patients as controls. Results Elevated total serum IgE was observed in 60% of bullous pemphigoid patients, the percentage in the pemphigus group and pruritus group was 20% and 40%, respectively. The mean total serum IgE level among the bullous pemphigoid group was higher than that of the pemphigus group (123.3 ± 102.4 IU/mL vs. 64.3 ± 45.1 IU/mL, p = 0.010). Total serum IgE levels of bullous pemphigoid patients correlated with higher eosinophil counts (r = 0.61; p = 0.018) and urticaria/erythema (U/E) Bullous Pemphigoid Disease Area Index (BPDAI) score (r = 0.50; p = 0.035). Among 35 bullous pemphigoid patients, 5 patients showed positive IgE DIF staining, accounting for 14.3%. Higher serum IgE levels correlated with the deposition of IgE in patients' perilesional skin (p = 0.037). Limitations Due to the rarity of bullous pemphigoid, the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, and self-treatment issues in Vietnam, we could not recruit a larger number of participants. Conclusions Total serum IgE values correlated with urticarial lesions and IgE deposition in perilesional skin of Vietnamese bullous pemphigoid patients. IgE autoantibodies present in the skin of bullous pemphigoid patients support the role of IgE in bullous pemphigoid pathogenesis.