Israeli researchers link penicillin use, development of pemphigus

Tel Aviv, Israel - The results of an Israeli study suggest a link between penicillin use and a twofold risk of developing pemphigus variant, HealthDay News reports.

The five-year study, conducted by researchers at Maccabi Healthcare Services here, examined medications associated with 363 patients with pemphigus over a five-year study period and 150,000 controls. The patients were identified from a health maintenance organization’s database of 1.5 million patients.

The researchers found that a purchase of penicillin in the previous six months was associated with a twofold increase in the risk of pemphigus, with the odds ratio 2.03. The risk increased from 1.84 for one purchase to 3.02 for three or more purchases. Researchers found no increased risks associated with the other drugs examined.

“This study suggests that there is an association between penicillin exposure and the diagnosis of pemphigus variants,” concludes the study, which was published in the June issue of Archives of Dermatology.