Epidermolysis bullosa aquisita (EBA) is an autoimmune blistering skin disease characterized by the presence of Type VII Collagen IgG autoantibodies. Type VII collagen is a major component of anchoring fibrils, attachment structures within the basement membrane, between the epidermis and dermis of human skin. Type VII collagen is composed of three identical α-chains. Each α-chain consists of a central collagenus (COL) domain flanked by a 145 kDa non-collagenous amino-terminal (NC1) domain, and a smaller 34 kDa carboxyl-terminal non-collagen (NC2) domain. The major antigenic epitopes for anti-Type VII collagen autoantibodies in patients with EBA reside within the NC1 domain (1-3). However, the recent research reports that NC2 domain is a minor antigenic epitopes (4). To develop an ELISA assay with the highest sensitivity to identify Type VII Collagen antibodies, two purified recombinant antigens (NC1 and NC2) were combined and coated in the same well of ELISA microplate.

The MESACUP Anti-Type collagen VII TEST measures anti-type VII collagen autoantibodies containing not only anti-NC1antibody but also anti-NC2 antibody in patient serum specifically.

CE Marked Only