In vitro growth rates of epidermal cells derived from the skin of psoriatic patients and non-psoriatic controls.

The growth of epidermal cells derived from clinically normal skin of psoriatic patients and controls has been studied in culture. Growth rates were measured in secondary cultures established with 5 x 10(4) cells/35 mm plate without feeder layers by determining the plating efficiency, and cell yield and surface area of growth at the end of a 14-day culture period. There was no significant correlation of plating efficiency, cell yield/colony or surface area/colony with the sex or age of the donor in either the normal or psoriatic groups. The morphological development of normal and psoriatic epidermal cell cultures was similar. Comparisons of plating efficiency, cell yield/colony and surface area/colony for the normal and psoriatic groups revealed no significant difference.