To report three cases of
bullous pemphigoid in patients treated with
vildagliptin. Case 1: An 86-year-old woman presented with
bullous pemphigoid after 1 month of treatment with
vildagliptin and
metformin. After introduction of
clobetasol, the symptoms resolved although
vildagliptin was continued. However, the skin lesions reappeared 3 months later. Sustained remission was achieved only after definitive withdrawal of
vildagliptin. Case 2: A 79-year-old man presented with
bullous pemphigoid after 37-month treatment with
gliclazide,
vildagliptin and
metformin. The disease at first responded to
clobetasol but 3 months later the lesions reappeared. They finally regressed when the
gliptin was discontinued. Case 3: A 77-year-old woman, treated with
gliclazide and
vildagliptin for 26 months, presented with
bullous pemphigoid, which responded well to discontinuation of the
gliptin and topical
clobetasol.
Gliptins are new molecules for treatment of
type 2 diabetes mellitus, which have been suspected of implication in
bullous pemphigoid. Such cases have been described in the literature (seven with
vildagliptin and three with
sitagliptin). In nine of these cases, the
gliptin was associated with
metformin, but the latter had never been considered responsible. The mechanism implicated in the development of
bullous pemphigoid has not yet been clearly identified, but may involve a modified immune response or alteration of the antigenic properties of the epidermal basement membrane. These reports support the risk of
bullous pemphigoid in patients exposed to
gliptins.