The Autoimmune Blistering Diseases in Australia: Status and Services

A Global View of Pemphigus: Geographical Variations

Pemphigus, an autoimmune intraepidermal bullous disease group with roughly eight distinct forms, includes pemphigus vulgaris (PV) and pemphigus foliaceus (PF) as its predominant global forms. Despite the increased utilization of global health records and reporting systems, epidemiological data remain limited and poorly categorized. Therefore, this study aimed to conduct a review to track, identify, and characterize cases of PV and PF published and categorized worldwide. A research question was formulated; studies were selected based on the inclusion criteria; and data from these publications were systematically collected, summarized, and presented using narrative descriptions. The search strategy yielded 3,212 articles, of which 95 underwent critical analysis and data extraction. Studies from 52 countries contributed to the dataset, covering various pemphigus variants. Notably, only two countries, Iran (18.87%) and South Korea (11.43%), accounted for approximately a third of the reported PV cases, while Brazil contributed 40.25% of the foliaceus variants cases documented in the literature. These findings offer valuable insights into the global distribution of pemphigus and inform future research and healthcare efforts.

Autoimmune blistering diseases in females: a review

The autoimmune blistering diseases (AIBDs) are a group of heterogeneous skin diseases with autoantibodies directed against structural proteins in the skin. A new interest in the female bias towards autoimmune diseases in general has led to our attention to focus on how and why this female bias manifests in AIBD. The authors aim to review and explore the various aspects of AIBD affecting females more than males, including the higher prevalence, worse quality of life, and complex management issues such as pregnancy and lactation.

What is already known on this topic?

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Echoing autoimmune diseases in general, most autoimmune blistering diseases (AIBDs) have a female predominance, but the exact level of predominance is unknown.

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Pregnancy raises several complicated management issues for females with an AIBD.

What does this article add to our knowledge?

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Review of sex-specific epidemiology and etiology of each AIBD.

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Exploration and explanation of the key factors underlying the detrimental impacts of AIBD on women’s quality of life (QOL).

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Discussion of management issues in pregnancy and lactation for females with an AIBD.

How does this information impact clinical practice and/or change patient care?

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An awareness and understanding of the female predominance in AIBDs will ensure more appropriate diagnosis, evaluation, and future research.

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Emphasizing holistic care targeting the debilitating effects of AIBDs on women’s QOL.

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Informing the reader of optimal, yet safe interventions for pregnant women with an AIBD.