Association of apolipoprotein allele epsilon 2 with psoriasis vulgaris in Japanese population.

We studied phenotypic variations of apolipoprotein E (apoE) and the corresponding allele frequencies in 100 Japanese patients with psoriasis vulgaris (PV). The phenotypes of apoE were examined using analytical isoelectric focusing followed by immunoblotting with goat anti-apoE antibody and alkaline phosphatase-conjugated rabbit antigoat IgG. The phenotypic frequency of apoE3/2 in PV was significantly higher than in healthy controls, and this elevation was associated with an increased frequency of the epsilon 2 allele. Therefore, it is suggested that the apoE molecule plays an important role in the development of PV.