Detection of IgA in diseased skin and serum of patients with psoriasis vulgaris

: Origin and function of IgA in the psoriatic skin are unknown. Including a monoclonal antibody against the secretory component (SC) of the secretory IgA (SIga), we have tried to characterize the IgA in psoriasis. With help of a polyclonal antiserum we found depots of IgA in the skin in 69% of all investigated patients. There was a correlation between the degree of akanthosis and the amount of intraepidermal IgA. In the serum of the psoriasis total IgA was significant increased, but never we found SC-bound SIgA in the skin or elevated levels in serum of patients.