Polymorphonuclear leukocyte random migration and chemotaxis in psoriatic and healthy adult smokers and non-smokers.

Random migration and chemotactic responsiveness of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) from psoriatic and control smokers and non-smokers were studied in vitro and in vivo. In vivo, but not in vitro, PMNs from psoriatic smokers responded to a significantly greater degree to a standard chemotaxin than did PMNs from psoriatic non-smokers, control smokers and control non-smokers. This suggests that smoking has a selective effect on psoriatic PMNs. The possible relevance of this to the pathogenesis of psoriasis vulgaris and to palmoplantar pustulosis is discussed.