Plasma aldosterone and cortisol levels in psoriasis and atopic dermatitis.

The levels of plasma aldosterone were significantly raised in groups of patients with psoriasis and atopic dermatitis compared with a control group of patients with other skin diseases. Simultaneous assay of plasma cortisol indicated that these changes were not the effects of prior corticosteroid therapy. The reasons for the increased aldosterone levels are not clear, but our findings are compatible with a "permissive" role for this hormone in psoriasis and atopic dermatitis.