Selective decrease of 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15-HETE) formation in uninvolved psoriatic dermis.

Epidermis of psoriatic skin lesions is characterized by elevated 5-lipoxygenase and 12-lipoxygenase products. 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15-HETE), the predominant lipoxygenase product in normal dermis, has the potential to inhibit 5-lipoxygenase and 12-lipoxygenase. The purpose of the present study was to determine the capacity of homogenized dermis from uninvolved psoriatic skin to form 15-HETE in vitro. Extracted lipids were separated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Each chromatographic peak was identified by its coelution with authentic standards, by ultraviolet spectrometry, and by radioimmunoassay. Dermis from uninvolved psoriatic skin generated on average 48% less 15-HETE than normal dermis (P less than .01). In contrast, the formation of 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid was increased by 56% in psoriatic dermis (P less than .01). Prostaglandin E2 formation was similar in normal and psoriatic dermis. Since 15-HETE can inhibit the synthesis of 5-lipoxygenase and 12-lipoxygenase products that possess inflammatory and proliferative capacities, a defective 15-HETE generation in dermis may be of importance for the development of psoriasis.