IgA-associated inhibition of polymorphonuclear leukocyte chemotaxis in neutrophilic dermatoses.

The chemotactic activity of normal human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) confronted with heat inactivated sera from patients with psoriasis as well as various chronic proliferative diseases was determined using modified Boyden chambers. By the addition of phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) at a concentration of 1 ng/ml the chemoattractant activities of the sera were greatly potentiated. However, the chemotactic migration of normal PMNs was strongly inhibited by sera from patients with long standing and wide spread psoriasis, pyoderma gangrenosum, severe acne conglobata, Sweet syndrome, and some patients with chronic arthritis following rheumatoid fever. In acute guttate psoriasis and atopic dermatitis increased migratory activities were seen. The inhibition of chemotaxis correlated with increased serum IgA levels as determined by radial immuno diffusion. Column chromatography (Sephacryl S-300) revealed serum fractions of strong inhibitory potency at a molecular weight near 200,000 Dalton. These inhibitory fractions were seen in patients with long standing neutrophil related diseases and could not be detected in normal control sera. It appears that inhibition of PMN chemotaxis is a secondary phenomenon and may play an autoregulatory role in PMN related inflammation.