Localization of elevated transforming growth factor-alpha in psoriatic epidermis.

Biopsies of involved and uninvolved skin from five patients with plaque psoriasis and normal skin from four healthy volunteers were investigated for steady-state quantities of TGF-alpha RNA and protein by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. Increased levels of TGF-alpha RNA were found only in the high-level keratinocytes of involved psoriatic skin (p less than 0.001). Elevated levels of TGF-alpha protein were seen in both the high-level and basal layers of involved psoriatic skin compared to uninvolved psoriatic and normal control skin. Elevated TGF-alpha gene expression is thus implicated in the hyperproliferation of keratinocytes and possibly the altered maturation pattern seen in psoriasis.