Immunohistochemical demonstration of basement membrane collagen in normal human skin and in psoriasis.

Antibodies prepared against the collagen C-chain derived from human placenta specifically strain the epidermal basement membrane of normal human skin as well as the basement membrane surrounding the skin appendages and capillaries. Using the antibodies, it was observed that all basement membranes in untreated psoriatic plaques appear fragmented and separted into several layers. The results suggest that psoriatic lesions are associated with a general loss of basement membrane integrity which may play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of the disease.