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Antipsoriatic agents have been shown to decrease skin levels of arachidonic acid and its metabolites including 12-monohydroxy-eicosatetranoic acid (12-HETE), and leukotriene B₄ (LTB₄). In addition, specific systemic and topical lipoxygenase inhibitors have been reported to be effective in the treatment of psoriasis. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of a potent oral leukotriene biosynthesis inhibitor (MK886) in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis. Clinical response together with the changes of LTB₄ levels in lesional skin biopsy specimens, and urinary leukotriene E₄ (LTE₄) excretion were evaluated. In addition, markers of inflammation, proliferation and keratinization were studied immunohistochemically. No change in clinical scores or lesional LTB₄ levels were observed with a 10¹/₃-day course of MK886. A statistically significant reduction in urinary LTE₄ excretion was observed: mean LTE₄ (ng/h) were 5.14 before treatment and 1.51 on day 11 with MK886; and 7.55 before treatment and 6.57 on day 11 with placebo treatment. Epidermal accumulation of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) tended to diminish in the MK886 treatment group. These results indicate that although a reduction ( > 70%) in urinary LTE₄ excretion was found, and a slight decrease of epidermal PMN accumulation was observed, no correlative changes in clinical scores or LTB₄ levels in skin lesion were found with a short course of MK886.

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