Question

You suspect that an elderly patient's skin blistering is caused by an autoimmune disorder. If you are correct, the patient's serum likely contains antibodies directed against

A) talin.
B) vinculin.
C) α-actinin.
D) BPAG2.
E) actin.

Answer 1

If an elderly patient's skin blistering is due to an autoimmune disorder, their serum likely contains antibodies against BPAG2, which are associated with bullous pemphigoid.

Step-by-step explanation:

An elderly patient presenting with skin blistering suspected to be due to an autoimmune disorder likely has the presence of autoantibodies in their serum. Among the options given (talin, vinculin, α-actinin, BPAG2, actin), the correct choice is BPAG2 or bullous pemphigoid antigen 2. This protein is associated with the skin disorder known as bullous pemphigoid, which can cause blistering due to autoantibody attack on the skin's basement membrane. The presence of BPAG2 antibodies can help confirm the diagnosis of this autoimmune skin condition. Prolonged exposure to the sun can cause damage to the DNA within skin cells, leading to inflammation and the formation of blisters.