Impaired motility and random migration of vital polymorphonuclears in vitro after therapy with oral aromatic retinoid in psoriasis.

Vital polymorphonuclears of healthy persons and of patients with psoriasis before and after therapy with oral retinoid (Ro 10-9359) were observed in vitro under standardized conditions. In this model normal polymorphonuclears showed well-defined changes entering (A) a stage of resting and accommodation, (B) a stage of movement in loco, and finally, (C) a stage of migration. The rectilinear migration of cells was accompanied by characteristic movements of the cytoplasmic granula towards the cytocentrum. Just before the onset of migration, the cell organelles ordered themselves in a defined position within the cytoplasm. The survival time of the cells was about 48 hours, and their degeneration in vitro was reproducible. Polymorphonuclears of psoriasis patients without respiration before therapy with oral retinoid showed no changes. In contrast, the in vitro motility of polymorphonuclears of psoriasis under oral retinoid therapy showed distinct alterations: the movement of the cytoplasmic granula was strongly decelerated, and the regular arrangement of the cell organelles did not appear. The function of the cytocentrum was obviously impaired; the cells persisted longer in the resting stage and reached the movement stage later. A stage of migration failed to appear. The survival time was reduced to approximately 24 hours. These observations suggest that the oral retinoid interferes with the microtubular cell system and inhibits the directional migration of the polymorphonuclear in vitro.