Polypeptide neutrophil chemoattractants in the skin.

Extracts of stratum corneum samples from psoriatic skin lesions have been shown to contain a group of neutrophil chemoattractant polypeptides, a major portion of which is distinct from C5a (des arg). One of the components may be identical to the novel monocyte-derived neutrophil chemotactic peptide which has recently been purified, sequenced and cloned. Synthesis of this agent may be induced by interleukin 1, this process possibly explaining part of the pro-inflammatory activity of interleukin 1 in the skin. These compounds may be important in the pathogenesis of inflammatory skin disease.