Projects: BP Study

PEM Friends have worked with the Centre of Evidence Based Dermatology (CEBD) at the University of Nottingham as patient representatives for several years.

The CEBD have recently conducted a series of studies into Bullous Pemphigoid (BP). Although they would like to apply their research into all forms of autoimmune blistering diseases, the data available for pemphigus and other forms of pemphigoid is not reliable or plentiful enough to provide robust and statistically valid results. All these blistering diseases are rare, but the incidence and recording of cases of bullous pemphigoid are sufficient to be able to gather reliable enough information.

There have been several studies, starting with two initial investigations to confirm the numbers and reliability of the data available, and then to understand the distribution and type of patients diagnosed with BP. Further studies have gone on to use the information to understand prescribing practices with steroids, consequences of the use of these drugs, and the profile of patients with BP to confirm whether reliable trials can continue.

Further studies now await publication or completion, such as the correlation between the incidence of BP and drugs typically prescribed to older patients.

You can watch videos about some of the studies and read about them on the University of Nottingham Centre of Evidence Based Dermatology website.