A group of autoimmune and potentially life-threatening mucocutaneous diseases characterized by intradermal blisters and circulating IgG against keratinocytes. Binding of autoantibodies results in acantholysis (i.e., loss of cell–cell adhesion), and antibody titers correlate with disease activity. Pemphigus (from the Greek pemphix, blister) comprises three subsets: pemphigus vulgaris (70% of all cases), pemphigus foliaceus, and paraneoplastic pemphigus.
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