Fig. 3.

FK506 and clobetasol propionate (CP) rescue disruption of cell-cell contacts and the loss of desmoglein (Dsg) 3 induced by pemphigus vulgaris (PV) sera and AK23. HaCaT cells were co-incubated with 100 nM FK506 and/or 1 µM CP in the present of 5% PV sera or 1 µg/mL AK23 for 24 h prior to western blot and immunostaining. (A) Both PV sera- and AK23-stimulated Dsg3 internalization was blocked by FK506 and CP. (B) Statistically significant differences are indicated by * p < 0.05 and * *p < 0.01 vs. PV group or AK23 group, respectively. Data are represented by mean ± SE. (C) Consistent with western blot, FK506 and/or CP prevented the PV sera- and AK23-mediated loss of cell surface-localized Dsg3. (scale bar = 50 μm). (D and E) Dispase-based dissociation assays indicated that when cells in the PV group and AK23 group were treated with FK506 and/or CP, the number of free cells was dramatically decreased (n = 3). Statistically significant differences are indicated by *** p < 0.001 vs. PV group or AK23 group, respectively