Linear IgA disease: successful application of immunoadsorption and review of the literature.

Linear IgA disease (LAD) is an autoimmune subepidermal blistering disorder characterized by IgA autoantibodies at the dermal-epidermal junction. Conventional first-line treatments include dapsone with or without oral glucocorticosteroids. Various other therapeutic approaches have been used in refractory patients. Immunoadsorption (IA) has been previously successfully applied in severe and/or otherwise treatment-resistant IgG-mediated immunobullous disorders. Here, we report a patient with a severe generalized LAD in whom adjuvant tryptophan IA was associated with rapid healing of skin lesions. Our observation suggests that IA may also be a helpful adjuvant treatment option for severe LAD. 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.