Flow-cytometric characterization of normal versus psoriatic epidermis using improved cell separation methodology

Recently a new approach for epidermal cell characterization was developed: three-parameter flow cytrometrical analysis of pure and complete epidermal cell suspensions prepared from punch biopsies followed by dermoepidermal se paration by thermolysin. The aim of the present communication is the compar ison between psoriatic lesional skin and normal skin using this new approac h with respect to the percentage of suprabasal keratinocytes (keratin 10+ c ells), mesenchymal cells, including the infiltrate cells (vimentin+ cells) and the percentage of basal cells in SG(2) M phase, in order to validate th is methodology in studies on psoriatic skin. Punch biopsies were taken from 7 healthy volunteers and in 7 psoriatic patients 4 biopsies were taken in each of them from comparable lesions. The present study reconfirmed that th e percentage of basal keratinocytes in psoriasis was increased and the perc entage of keratin 10+ cells was substantially decreased as compared to norm al skin. The new methodology revealed data with a narrow range. In psoriati c lesional skin the intra individual variation was less compared to the int er individual variation.