Autoreactivity to bullous pemphigoid 180: is this the link between subepidermal blistering diseases and oral lichen planus?

Subepidermal blistering diseases are antibody-mediated diseases. The antigens differ between disease type, but bullous pemphigoid (BP)180 (collagen XVII) is a common finding in several clinical conditions. We report four patients with autoimmune blistering disease [linear Ig A disease (n=2), bullous pemphigoid (n=1), and epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (n=1)], all of whom also developed oral lichen planus (LP). In all cases, the diagnosis of the blistering disease predated the development of the oral lesions. All patients were under the care of dermatologists and of oral medicine/surgery doctors for the diagnosis and management of the oral LP. All had circulating antibodies to BP180 protein. To our knowledge, the association between blistering diseases and oral LP has not been reported previously, and may reflect autoimmunity to BP180.