Dr. Abreu-Velez finds
new variant of PF
in Colombia

Scientists make discoveries every day, but it is rare to find a new variant of a disease as old as pemphigus. The new variation of endemic (Common among a group of people or locale) pemphigus foliaceous is called Abreu-Mannu. It was identified in El Bagre, Colombia.

The variant, which resembles Senear-Usher syndrome, was discovered by a team lead by Dr. Ana Maria Abreu-Velez of the Institute for Molecular Medicine and Genetics at the Medical College of Georgia. Dr. Abreu-Velez identified autoantibodies to desmoglein 1, as well as other antigens in the blood of patients. Further identification of other antigens is needed. Senear-Usher syndrome is also known as pemphigus erythematosus. It involves redness of the skin produced by congestion of the capillaries, especially on skin exposed to the sun.

The team developed a cost-efficient ELISA assay that detects antibodies and can test several samples of serum in the field simultaneously. The results generated correlate with clinical disease activity in patients tested.

The discovery was pub-lished in the Archives of Dermatology Research in March 2004.

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