Functional studies of sessile macrophages in liver and spleen of psoriatics.

In 24 psoriatics of either sex aged between 22 and 84 years, functional analysis of sessile macrophages in liver and spleen revealed an accelerated metabolic elimination of Tc-99m labeled human serum albumin millimicrospheres. In psoriatics treated with aromatic retinoid, macrophage activity in liver and spleen was found to be normalized compared to the group of systemically nontreated psoriatics. 3 psoriatics with cirrhosis of the liver demonstrated an unequivocally delayed tracer accumulation in liver and splenic macrophages, the former showing decelerated phagocytosis and proteolysis of ingested albumin particles. The method used allows measuring of phagocytic and proteolytic properties of tissue-fixed macrophages in psoriatics as well as assessing the therapeutic effects of systemically administered drugs on macrophage functions.