Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is considered the most frequent autoimmune blistering disease with an incidence of about 1.5 to 2 per 100,000 inhabitants and year in the general population. The disease becomes even more frequent in the elderly. The clinical picture of BP includes tense blisters, formation of erythema, erosions, crusts and pruritus. The presence of […]
The name already sounds alarming: Echinococcoses. The diseases can be caused by infections with tapeworms of the genus Echinococcus. Basically, there are two clinical patterns: cystic echinococcosis (CE), induced by the dog tapeworm E. granulosus, which is globally spread but rarely occurs in Germany. Infection with the fox tapeworm E. multilocularis, which is prevalent at
In 2012, a new coronavirus was identified in the Middle East causing a respiratory syndrome in humans (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus, MERS-CoV). Camels were shown to be a major reservoir for the virus and a potential source for human infections. Although transmission of the virus from animals to humans as well as humans to
Our body, especially the intestine, is colonized by a huge number of microbes – ten times more than the body’s own eukaryotic cells. This overcrowding, which seems rather alarming at first glance, fulfills important functions. Although bacteria are commonly associated with diseases, many of these microbes are harmless or even beneficial for humans. Indeed, the
Autoimmune-mediated damage to the kidneys can be triggered by autoantibodies directed against renal proteins, as in the case of primary membranous nephropathy (MN) or Goodpasture syndrome, or may occur secondary as part of the wide-reaching effects of systemic autoimmune diseases such as vasculitis or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The detection of specific autoantibodies in patient
