The
calmodulin content of epidermis was determined by assay of biologically active and radioimmunoassayable
calmodulin in epidermal biopsy samples of 16 normal control subjects and 36 patients with
psoriasis.
Calmodulin levels in the involved epidermis of patients with
psoriasis were significantly greater than in epidermis of control subjects, with both methods of
calmodulin measurement. Levels of
calmodulin in the uninvolved epidermis were also elevated but to a lesser degree, achieving statistical significance only when measured by radioimmunoassay. However, the degree of correlation between the two measurements of
calmodulin was poor for the patient samples, suggesting that each may measure a different form of
calmodulin. The specificity of the elevated
calmodulin in psoriatic epidermis was investigated by measuring
calmodulin in another unrelated tissue.
Calmodulin activity in circulating peripheral blood lymphocytes of seven patients with
psoriasis was similar to that found in the lymphocytes of ten normal volunteers. The relationship between
calmodulin and the hyperproliferative state of the psoriatic epidermis was investigated. No significant increase in
calmodulin activity was found after
mitogen stimulation of lymphocyte proliferation or after Sellotape-stripping of the epidermis by a protocol which has been shown to cause hyperproliferation of the epidermis.