Summary:
Are you interested in learning more about a Pemphigus Research Study?
Pemphigus is an autoimmune disease where autoantibodies in your blood attack parts of the skin that hold the skin cells together. There are two main types. Pemphigus Vulgaris (PV) is a type that has antibodies that can target the skin and the mouth (mucosa). Pemphigus Foliaceus (PF) is a type that usually just has antibodies that target the skin and doesn’t involve the mouth. The antibodies cause the skin cells to separate and this results in blisters, sores, or ulcers on the skin and in the mouth. PV is characterized by multiple lesions or blisters that do not heal, or that recur and spread to larger portions of the body. As many as 80% of the cases of PV first exhibit symptoms in the mouth, and the mouth is sometimes the only site of lesions.
Typically, patients with PV will have multiple ulcers that persist for weeks to months. Blistering may be accompanied by severe pain, itching, burning, and stinging. If extensive, blistering can lead to life-threatening fluid loss, infection, and disfigurement. Fatalities from pemphigus vulgaris are extremely unlikely nowadays, however, early treatment is critical.
PV and PF are categorized as ultra-rare diseases and as many as 80% of cases are misdiagnosed for an average of 6 months. With treatment, lesions can heal normally without scarring. Most patients being treated for PV can enter a partial or full remission.
Pemphigus affects men and women approximately equally. Although sometimes appearing in younger people, the average onset of symptoms is in those aged 50–60 years. Pemphigus can occur in persons of any ethnicity. PV is categorized as an ultra-orphan disease (meaning it is very rare), affecting approximately 10,000–30,000 people in the United States.
Qualified Participants Must:
• Be between 18 and 75 years of age
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Have been diagnosed with Pemphigus