Abstract: In order to investigate the relationship between c-erbB and psoriasis the expression of c-erbB-1 proto-oncogene in skins of normal controls and psoriatic lesions was examined by means of hybridization in situ, meanwhile, the expression of c-erbB-1 in normal keratinocytes, which acted on psoriatic IgG and peripheral blood mononuclear cells, was carefully observed. The results showed: ①c-erbB-1 proto-oncogene was mainly localized in basal cells of normal epidermis, however, it was expressed throughout all layers of epidermis of psoriatic lesions, and was most intense in the prickle cell layer; ②grains of c-erbB-1 expression were 0.5032±0.2343, which were increased obviously when compared with the control groups (P<0.01), when normal keratinocytes were stimulated with psoriatic IgG and mononuclear cells. Our results suggest that the overexpression of c-erbB-1 proto.oncogene might be one of the important reasons that can induce keratinocytes of psoriasis to proliferate abnormally.

Key words: Psoriasis, Proto-oncogene protein, c-erbB-1