Common genetic link in fatal autoimmune skin disease discovered

[Northerner]

Autoimmune disease occurs when the body's own natural defense system rebels against itself. One example is pemphigus vulgaris (PV), a blistering skin disease in which autoantibodies attack desmoglein 3 (Dsg3), the protein that binds together skin cells. Researchers recently found a shared genetic link in the autoimmune response among PV patients that provides important new clues about how autoantibodies in PV originate.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140619091919.htm