Increased levels of 6-oxo-PGF1 alpha in human skin following ultraviolet B irradiation.

1 Clinically normal human abdominal skin in 11 subjects, was irradiated with three times the minimal-erythema dose of ultraviolet B (u.v. B) irradiation. 2 Erythema was assessed visually, and exudate was recovered by a suction bulla technique from normal skin, and from skin at 6, 24 and 48 h after irradiation. 3 Erythema was moderate at 6 h, but increased to a maximum at 24 h, which was maintained at 48 h. 4 6-oxo-PGF1 alpha was markedly raised at 6 h, moderately raised at 24 h, but had returned to control levels at 48 h, when the erythema was still maximal. 5 Prostaglandin I2, the precursor of 6-oxo-PGF1 alpha and 6-oxo-PGF1 alpha may, therefore, play a part in the early inflammatory process after u.v. B irradiation, but is unlikely to be responsible for the erythema still present at 48 h.