PIXE analysis of paralesional psoriatic skin

The elemental distributions over epidermal skin cross sections as revealed by proton probe analysis on cryosections from human skin provides new insight into the physiology of skin. The present investigation shows that in comparison with skin from non-afflicted individuals nonlesional skin from psoriatics reveals abnormality (higher than normal levels) in calcium (Ca), iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn). In addition, the abnormality is not only present in the quantity recorded but also in the particular distribution of these elements. Thus, the stratum corneum contains appreciable amounts of Fe and Zn in the skin of psoriatics, a finding never recorded in normal skin. The increased Ca levels may be related to the phenomenon of “programmed cell death” which will be the end point of the differentiation process in the epidermis. The Fe and Zn findings may be interpreted as defects in the retaining mechanisms for these valuable trace elements. The recorded defects in trace element distributions can be regarded as new additions to the already known spectrum of abnormality in the genetics expressed as the disorder of psoriasis.