Analysis of the Clinical Characteristics of Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitor-Induced Bullous Pemphigoid

The "entanglement" between bullous pemphigoid and diabetes mellitus: a comprehensive review and expert recommendations

INTRODUCTION

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is an autoimmune bullous disease characterized by subepidermal tense blisters, accompanied by urticarial or eczema-like lesions. Circulating autoantibodies in BP patients target BP180 and BP230 at the dermal-epidermal junction. There has been a growing interest in unraveling the intricate relationship between BP and diabetes mellitus (DM), but a comprehensive review is lacking.

AREAS COVERED

A thorough search of PubMed was conducted to identify studies concerning the association between BP and DM (1978-2023). Our findings comprehensively summarize the intricate association between BP and DM, focusing on the characteristics, potential pathomechanisms, and the influence of various antidiabetic medications on BP development.

EXPERT OPINION

DM emerges as a prevalent comorbidity and potential risk factor for BP. New-onset DM can manifest during BP treatment, primarily due to corticosteroid therapy. Among all antidiabetic medications, dipeptidyl peptidase-IV inhibitors (DPP-4i) have the most solid association with BP onset. Other antidiabetic medications have also been reportedly associated with BP, including meglitinides, glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1)-receptor agonists, and sodium-dependent glucose transporters 2 inhibitors (SGLT-2i). We suggest prescribing DPP-4i in caution for elderly DM patients with a history of autoimmune diseases.

Identification of Risk Factors for Gliptin-associated Bullous Pemphigoid among Diabetic Patients

Drug-associated bullous pemphigoid has been shown to follow long-term gliptin (dipeptidyl-peptidase 4 inhibitors) intake. This study aimed at identifying risk factors for gliptin-associated bullous pemphigoid among patients with type 2 diabetes. A retrospective study was conducted in a tertiary centre among diabetic patients exposed to gliptins between the years 2008-2021. Data including demographics, comorbidities, medications, and laboratory results were collected using the MDClone platform. Seventy-six patients with type 2 diabetes treated with dipeptidyl-peptidase 4 inhibitors who subsequently developed bullous pemphigoid were compared with a cohort of 8,060 diabetic patients exposed to dipeptidyl-peptidase 4 inhibitors who did not develop bullous pemphigoid. Based on a multivariable analysis adjusted for age and other covariates, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias were significantly more prevalent in patients with bullous pemphigoid (p = 0.0013). Concomitant use of either thiazide or loop diuretics and gliptin therapy was associated with drug-associated bullous pemphigoid (p < 0.0001 for both). While compared with sitagliptin, exposure to linagliptin and vildagliptin were associated with bullous pemphigoid with an odds ratio of 5.68 and 6.61 (p < 0.0001 for both), respectively. These results suggest gliptins should be prescribed with caution to patients with type 2 diabetes with coexisting Alzheimer's and other dementias, or patients receiving long-term use of thiazides and loop diuretics. The use of sitagliptin over linagliptin and vildagliptin should be preferred in these patients.

An Urticarial and Acral Manifestation of Bullous Pemphigoid After Vildagliptin Therapy: A Case Report

Drug-induced bullous pemphigoid (DBP) may present identical to an idiopathic type of illness. Thus, DBP should be considered as a differential diagnosis when evaluating the cause of bullous pemphigoid (BP) in elderly individuals with diabetes. We present the case of a 65-year-old "young-elderly" female who developed bullous lesions after initiation of medication. This case report casts light on a commonly prescribed antidiabetic drug, a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor, vildagliptin, and its unforeseen complication in the elderly. The long-term complication is BP. With long-term use, there is an increased likelihood of encountering such cases among the elderly. Thus, we recommend that DBP be considered an important early differential diagnosis among elderly diabetics presenting with initial signs and symptoms of BP.

Bullous Pemphigoid Associated With Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitors: A Case Report and Review of Current Evidence

Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4i), or gliptins, are a widely used glucose-lowering agents. A growing amount of evidence pointed to a possible role of DPP-4i in the induction of bullous pemphigoid (BP), which is an auto-immune skin blistering disease that mainly affects the elderly. In this article we discuss a case of DPP-4i associated BP and we provide an updated review of the current knowledge regarding this emerging entity. Use of DPP-4i, particularly vildagliptin, was found to significantly increase the risk of BP. BP180 would be in the center of the aberrant immune response. DPP-4i induced BP is thought to be associated with male gender, mucosal involvement, and milder inflammatory phenotype especially in Asian population. Generally, patients may not remit fully after DPP-4i withdrawal only and require either topical or systemic glucocorticoid courses.

Bullous pemphigoid and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors: evaluation of clinical course and treatment response

BACKGROUND

Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP4is), drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2), show a significant association with bullous pemphigoid (BP) development.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the clinical course and development of BP among patients with DM2 treated with DPP4is.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study included all the patients with BP and comorbid DM2 who visited Sheba Medical Center during 2015-2020.

RESULTS

Among 338 patients with BP, 153 were included in our study. In 92 patients, BP diagnosis was attributed to the use of DPP4is. The patients with DPP4i-associated BP had fewer neurological and cardiovascular comorbidities and higher blistered body surface area (BSA) at first presentation, with noticeable upper and lower limb involvement. These patients were younger and more responsive to treatment, with a greater reduction in their BSA score after 2 months of treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

The clinical features of patients with BP treated with DPP4is were initially more severe; however, during follow-up, a marked clinical improvement was noticed, especially among patients who had ceased the drug. Therefore, although withdrawal of the drug may not impose disease remission, it can alleviate the disease course and avert the need for treatment escalation.

Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitor-Related Bullous Pemphigoid: Clinical, Laboratory, and Histological Features, and Possible Pathogenesis

Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor (DPP4i) is a widely used antidiabetic agent. Emerging cases of DPP4i-associated bullous pemphigoid (DBP), whose pathogenesis remains unclear, have been reported. Thus, a retrospective study was conducted from January 2016 to June 2021 to determine the clinical, laboratory, and histopathological features of DBP and idiopathic bullous pemphigoid (IBP). We set up in vitro experiments using vildagliptin-treated HaCaT keratinocytes to validate what we found by analyzing published RNA sequencing data about the genes related to the dermal-epidermal junction. We also observed IL-6 expression by HaCaT cells treated with vildagliptin. We enrolled 20 patients with DBP and 40 patients with IBP. The total Bullous Pemphigoid Disease Area Index (BPDAI) score was similar in both groups. However, the BPDAI score of erosions and blisters in DBP was significantly higher than that in IBP (24.6 vs. 16.68, p = 0.0189), and the score for urticaria and erythema was lower in DBP (12 vs. 19.05, p = 0.0183). The pathological features showed that the mean infiltrating eosinophil number per high-power field was significantly lower in DBP than in IBP (16.7 vs. 27.08, p = 0.023). The expression of LAMA3, LAMB3, LAMC2, DST, and COL17A1 decreased significantly in vildagliptin-treated human keratinocytes. On the other hand, IL-6, the hallmark cytokine of bullous pemphigoid (BP) severity, was found to be upregulated in HaCaT cells by vildagliptin. These experimental findings imply less of a requirement for eosinophil infiltration to drive the inflammatory cascades in DBP blistering. Both immunologic and non-immunologic pathways could be employed for the development of DBP. Our findings may help explain the higher incidence of non-inflammatory BP that was observed in DBP.