The correlation between the antibody titers in sera of patients with Pemphigus vulgaris and their clinical state.

Immunofluorescent antibodies against the intercellular material of the malpighian layer were detected in the sera of 22 of 24 patients suffering from pemphigus vulgaris. A clear-cut agreement between pretreatment antibody titers and the severity of the clinical manifestations was established only with the extreme values, i.e., patients without antibodies were among the mildest cases while the highest titers were found exclusively among the most severe cases. There was a considerable overlapping of all 3 states of the disease--mild, moderate and severe--in the range of the intermediate titers. On the individual level, 20 of the 24 patients showed a positive correlation between steroid-induced clinical improvement and a fall in the antibody titer. Conversely, in some cases, an exacerbation of the clinical state was associated with a rise in antibody titer. The results of this investigation indicate a positive correlation between the immunological findings and the clinical activity of the disease.