Soluble CD14 monocyte antigen in suction blister fluid and serum of patients with psoriasis.

The purpose of this study was to measure soluble CD14 (sCD14) molecules in the skin and in serum of patients with psoriasis. CD14 is a newly discovered cell surface marker on monocytes that is shed after cell activation. The following procedures were used: suction blisters were raised over the abdominal skin of 9 healthy control individuals and 8 patients with psoriasis. Serum of 17 healthy controls and 17 patients with psoriasis was collected. sCD14 was determined in suction blister fluid and serum by the ELISA technique. The clinical status of psoriasis was rated by the psoriasis area and severity index (PASI score). We found that sCD14 levels in suction blisters of healthy skin (1,050 +/…