Immunopathologic Studies of Experimental Pemphigus-like Autoantibodies and Bullous-like Lesions **From the Division of Immunology, Millard Fillmore Hospital, Buffalo, New York 14209.

Heteroimmunization of rabbits with an ethanolic extract of esophageal mucosa incorporating Freund adjuvant has been successful in eliciting pemphigus-like antibodies as judged by the criterion of indirect immunofluorescent (IF) staining of the intercellular areas of stratified squamous epithelium. These antibodies were shown to be autoantibodies by virtue of the demonstration of positive in vitro IF staining reactions with the antibody-producer's own tissues. Pemphigus-like antibodies were shown to be tissue specific, and histologically and serologically indistinguishable from the intercellular antibodies of human pemphigus.Histologic studies of epidermal lesions taken at the onest of iso- and autoantibody formation disclosed the presence of subepidermal-like bullae. Whether the etiology of these lesions is related to the presence of pemphigus-like antibodies and/or to the existence of basement membrane antibodies remains to be resolved