Reduction of Chemotactic Activities in Psoriatic Lesions by Hyperthermia Treatments

The effect of the local heat treatment on the chemotactic activity in psoriatic scales was studied by using a modified Boyden chamber method. Hyperthermic treatments were given to psoriasis plaques and scales were taken from these plaques before and after treatment. The psoriasis improved over a two week period of these treatments, but plaques were still present and scaling at that time. Treatment with local hyperthermia significantly reduced the activity for polymorphonuclear leukocytes in psoriatic scales (p<0.05). This result suggests that the inhibition of chemotactic activity may be involved in the action mechanism of hyperthermia in psoriatic lesions.