Keratinocyte footprint assay discriminates antilaminin-332 pemphigoid from all other forms of pemphigoid diseases.

The keratinocyte footprint assay is a fast and specific assay to confirm or rule out the presence of antilaminin-332 autoantibodies. What's already known about this topic? Antilaminin-332 mucous membrane pemphigoid is a severe form of pemphigoid, and patients may have an increased risk of malignancies. The diagnosis of antilaminin-332 mucous membrane pemphigoid is complicated by the lack of specific commercial tests for antilaminin-332 antibodies and can be confirmed only in specialized laboratories. Keratinocytes in culture need laminin-332 for adhesion and migration and therefore deposit it on the bottom of the culture dish. What does this study add? The keratinocyte footprint assay detects antilaminin-332 autoantibodies in patient serum using the native laminin-332 produced by cultured keratinocytes. What is the translational message? The keratinocyte footprint assay is a fast and specific assay to confirm or rule out the presence of antilaminin-332 autoantibodies.