Pustulosis palmaris et plantaris (PPP) is a tonsil-related disease that can be cured with tonsillectomy. Recent immunological studies have shown that hyperactivation of tonsillar T cells is caused by a hyperimmune response to α-streptococci; recruitment of the T cells to lesions may be involved in the pathogenesis of PPP. ß1 integrin, expressed on T cells, not only provides a costimulatory signal for T-cell activation but also facilitates the accumulation of T cells in inflammatory skin lesions. In this study, we found that expression of ß1 integrin on both tonsillar and peripheral blood CD4-positive T cells was higher in PPP patients than in non-PPP patients. In vitro stimulation with α-streptococcal antigen significantly enhanced ß1 integrin expression on tonsillar CD4-positive T cells in PPP patients, but not in non-PPP patients. The chemotactic response of tonsillar CD4-positive T cells to vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, the ß1 integrin ligand, was significantly better in PPP patients than in non-PPP patients. The percentage of ß1 integrin-positive peripheral blood CD4-positive T cells decreased after tonsillectomy in PPP patients. The numbers of ß1 integrin-positive T cells and the expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 were more elevated in plantar PPP skin lesions than in normal skin. These results suggest that ß1 integrin may play a key role in the pathogenesis of PPP.

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