Comparisons of pathologic and normal skin reactive autoantibodies and the interference phenomenon.

Immunofluorescent serum studies of the roles of the two groups of normal complement-fixing autoantibodies in psoriasis are complicated by the interference phenomenon. Both antibodies have the potential to react in vivo at sites of trauma and in psoriasiform lesions. In serum tests, only one or the other reacts, as demonstrated by immunofluorescent serum tests and absorption studies with isolated stratum corneum antigen. In tests of 15 normal sera, only one consistently reacted with the soluble carbohydrate antigens; the rest consistently reacted with the glycoproteins of the keratin intermediate filaments. This appears to be due to an antibody interference reaction that permits only one of two or more antibodies to react on a given tissue section.