Serum levels of D-dimer and fibrinogen/fibrin degradation products correlate with BP severity

Abstract Background Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is the most common blistering dermatosis with increasing mortality. Currently, the severity of BP can be assessed by the detection of anti-BP180 immunoglobulin G (IgG) titer, but it is absent in many grassroots clinics. BP patients are usually in a hypercoagulable state, and the levels of D-dimer and fibrin degradation products (FDPs) are elevated. Therefore, we aim to evaluate the use of D-dimer and FDPs in the assessment of BP severity. Methods This study included 33 BP and 33 Herpes zoster (HZ) patients, with the HZ patients serving as a control. The levels of plasma D-dimer and FDPs as along with eosinophil counts were recorded during a routine screening examination. Anti-BP180 IgG titer was tested by ELISA. BP lesion area was evaluated on admission. Correlational analyses were carried out between these indexes. Results The plasma D-dimer and FDP levels were higher in BP patients than in HZ patients. A significant positive correlation was found between the lesion area and both D-dimer and FDP levels in BP patients. There was also a positive association between anti-BP180 IgG and D-dimer, and between anti-BP180 IgG and FDP. Conclusions Plasma D-dimer and FDP may be convenient markers to evaluate the severity of BP.