The experimental production of high-level intraepidermal splits

Abstract

The effects of trypsin at 37.degree. and 4.degree. C on adhesion between keratinocytes in normal human epidermis were assessed by light microscopy and EM. Evidence for the contribution of extracellular and intracellular factors to keratinocyte adhesion and for changes in the nature of adhesion in the granular layer was found. Trypsinization at 4.degree. C produced a high-level intraepidermal split identical in location and intercellular route to that observed in the staphylococcal scaled skin syndrome.