Prostaglandin E1 in normal human skin: methodological evaluation, topographical distribution and data related to sex and age.

A methodological evaluation of a radioimmunoassay technique for PGE1 measurement was applied to normal human skin. The detection limit of the assay was 15 pg and recovery (mean +/- SD) was 90 +/- 6%. The mean value of PGE1 (+/- SEM) in nine punch biopsy specimens (4 mm in diameter) from a piece of skin surgically removed from one person was 117 +/- 14 pg/mg dry weight. The individual variation of PGE1 activity in biopsy specimens from the same topographical area in ten persons belonging to the same sex and age group was 33 +/- 4 pg/mg dry weight. The influence has been elucidated of temperature and tissue processing, local anaesthesia, sex, age and topographical distribution on endogenous PGE1 activity.