G.J. Giudice, D.J. Emery, L.A. Diaz, "Cloning and primary structural analysis of the bullous pemphigoid autoantigen, BP180," Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 99:243-50, 1992.
George J. Giudice (Departments of Dermatology and Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee): "Our investigation of an autoimmune skin disease has uncovered a novel protein that may function in cell-matrix adhesion. The disease, bullous pemphigoid, is characterized by a blistering of the skin due to a detachment of the epithelium from the connective tissue layer, and by the production of autoantibodies directed against the cutaneous basement membrane zone. In an attempt to identify and characterize self antigens associated with this disease, we screened a cDNA expression library with serum from a bullous pemphigoid patient. In this way we cloned a novel epidermal protein, BP180, which localizes to the hemidesmosome, a cellular structure involved in anchoring basal epithelial cells to the basement membrane.
"Our analysis revealed that BP180 ...
