Summarizes the state of information on chemokines focusing on skin diseases. The first three chapters of the text deal with the structure and molecular biology of chemokines and their receptors. The following three review information on the interaction of chemokines with lymphocytes, mast cells and eosinophilic granulocytes. One chapter deals with the expression of chemokines in several inflammatory skin diseases. The final chapter reports on in vitro evidence for a growth-promoting activity of chemokines in skin-derivied tumour cells. The text shold be of relevance to scientists interested in practical aspects of skin diseases and physicians in search for basic mechanisms of skin diseases.