Deposits of Immunoglobulin and Complement in Psoriatic Lesions

Abstract

Biopsy specimens from 43 patients with psoriasis were studied by immunofluorescence microscopy. Deposits of complement C3 and/or Ig were seen in the vessel walls and/or in the dermal-epidermal junction of 21 patients with pustular psoriasis, acute guttate psoriasis, psoriatic arthropathy and erythroderma. Similar deposits were seen in 9 of 22 patients with psoriasis vulgaris. Deposits were found in clinically uninvolved skin in 1 of 37 patients. Apparently the deposition of immune complexes in the vessel walls is important for the development of psoriatic lesions.