Linear IgA disease: successful treatment with erythromycin.

Journal article

Conventional first-line treatments for linear IgA disease (and the related chronic immunobullous disease of childhood) include topical steroids and dapsone, both of which may be associated with potentially serious side-effects. Alternative anti-inflammatory therapies such as tetracycline and macrolide antibiotics, have been used to treat other immunobullous disorders and we now report an adult case of linear IgA disease and a paediatric case of mixed immunobullous disease of childhood that both responded to the macrolide antibiotic erythromycin. The mode of action is speculative and anti-inflammatory mechanisms are unclear. Nevertheless, from a clinical perspective, erythromycin may have a role in the treatment of linear IgA disease and could be considered ahead of many other, perhaps potentially more toxic, therapies.

Authors: Cooper, S; Powell, J; Wojnarowska, F

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Clinical and experimental dermatology
• Volume: 27
• Issue: 8
• Pages: 677-679
• Publication date: 2002-11-01
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2230.2002.01133.x
• EISSN: 1365-2230
• ISSN: 0307-6938
• Language: English
• Keywords: Infant; Erythromycin; Male; Female; Skin Diseases, Vesiculobullous; Immunoglobulin A; Autoimmune Diseases; Middle Aged; Blister; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Humans