Response of bacterial antigen in palmoplantar pustulosis

: Motilities of leukocytes in response to bacterial antigens or sera were examined in tissues from patients with palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP). Accelerated migration towards bacterial antigens was detected in the case of Staphylococcus epidermidis in 9 of 19 patients, to Propionibacterium acnes in 5 of 19, to Proteus mirabilis and Staphylococcus aureus in 3 of 19, while no acceleration was found in neutrophils from the controls. A significantly accelerated migration of normal lymphocytes in response to both patients' and control sera was nil. Inhibition of migration of guinea pig peritoneal exudate cells mixed with lymphocytes from PPP patients was detected in 12 out of 14 patients with the addition of S. epidermidis antigen and 8 of 14 with the addition of P. acnes antigen, while no such inhibition was detected in all 7 controls. The accelerated migration of neutrophils and inhibition of macrophages may participate in the development of PPP.