ABSTRACT
Peripheral blood polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) serve as effector cells in both immune and nonimmune inflammatory processes. The effector action of PMNs in sites of inflammation is the culmination of a sequential process which includes margination within capillaries, chemotaxis, activation, and degranulation. To determine whether serum from patients with psoriasis might contribute to altered PMN function as well, a series of studies evaluating PMN activation by serum and zymosan were undertaken. Since zymosan stimulates PMNs through its opsonization by complement components of the alternate pathway, studies were undertaken to determine whether increased serum complement levels might contribute to the original observation. Peripheral blood PMN counts were increased as expected to levels as high as those observed in psoriasis, while in contrast, PMN adherence was unaltered when compared with the normal controls. Increased production alone cannot be responsible for increased adherence as observed in the patients with psoriasis.
