Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is a rare, blistering autoimmune disease that affects the skin and mucous membranes. Patients have circulating antibody to an intercellular cement substance, and deposition in vivo of this antibody is a hallmark of the disease. The antibody appears to be pathogenetic, since newborn infants of mothers with pemphigus may have blisters, and newborn mice injected with the antibody from patients have clinical pemphigus. The disease is reported to have a particularly high incidence among Jews (summary by Ahmed et al., 1990). [from OMIM]