The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the treatment of dermatitis herpetiformis with various sulfonamide compounds and to report studies which may have some bearing on the pathogenesis of the disease.
In 1938 one of us (J. H. S.), in studying immunologic response in cases of dermatitis herpetiformis, found that intradermal injection of Bacterium coli vaccine produced lesions simulating those of dermatitis herpetiformis at the site of injection. The favorable results obtained with sulfonamide compounds prompted us to continue the immunologic studies. As a further study of the pathogenesis of dermatitis herpetiformis chemical studies of the blood serum were undertaken.
In this paper we therefore present the findings of immunologic and chemical studies and in addition report the therapeutic results obtained with drugs of the sulfonamide group.
IMMUNOLOGIC STUDIES
The effects obtained with sulfonamide compounds in dermatitis herpetiformis stimulate speculation as to the cause of this disease. The fact