Altered polymorphonuclear leukocyte responses in psoriasis: chemotaxis and degranulation.

Chemotactic activities of circulating polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) were determined in twenty patients with psoriasis and twenty healthy control persons. After serial dilution of the complement split product C5a and the formylated tripeptide f-met-leu-phe (FMLP), chemotaxis profiles showed that PMN migration toward both chemotaxins was significantly increased in psoriasis. In addition, PMN from psoriatic patients responded to chemotaxins at much lower concentrations compared with controls. The liberation of (lysosomal) beta-glucuronidase was also determined in cytochalasin B-treated cells confronted with increased concentrations of the chemotaxins. Secretion of this marker enzyme started at lower concentrations in PMN derived from psoriatic patients. Our observations demonstrate migratory and secretory hyper-responsiveness of PMN from psoriatic patients. This may play a role in perpetuating the psoriatic tissue reaction.