Energy metabolism of human erythrocytes in psoriasis

• 1.1. Adenine nucleotide concentrations and metabolism in red blood cells (RBC)2 and RBC ghosts from psoriatic patients and healthy subjects were compared.
• 2.2. The ATP and total adenine nucleotide levels and the adenylate energy charge (EC) were elevated in the blood from psoriatic patients.
• 3.3. The rate of glycolytic production of ATP by intact RBC was unchanged, but the Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase activity of RBC ghosts was decreased significantly in psoriasis.
• 4.4. Results suggest that the defect in adenine nucleotide metabolism is a systemic manifestation of psoriasis, and that the quantification of adenine nucleotides in RBC and in whole blood samples may be of pathophysiological value in psoriatic lesion.