Biomedical subjects

T Rantanen

Publications and source records attributed to T Rantanen.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Physical activity compensates for increased mortality risk among older people with poor muscle strength.

The aim of the study was to determine whether habitual physical activity can compensate for the increased mortality risk among older people with poor muscle strength. Mortality was followed up for 10 years after laboratory examination in 558 community dwelling 75- and 80-year-old men and women. Maximal isometric strength of five muscle groups was measured and tertile cut-off points were used to categorize participants. Participants, who reported moderate physical activity for at least 4 h a week, were categorized as physically active and the others as sedentary. High muscle strength and physical activity both protected from mortality, but their effect was not additive. Within each muscle strength tertile, physically active people had a lower mortality risk than sedentary people, the effect being most pronounced among those with lower strength in all muscle groups. A high level of physical activity may thus compensate for the increased mortality associated with low muscle strength.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2005

Recommendations for and warnings against physical activity given to older people by health care professionals.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about how health care professionals advice older people with chronic conditions about physical exercise. This study investigated exercise counseling in the context of health care as perceived by older people, and factors associated with perceived advice. DESIGN AND METHODS: Participants were 580 non-institutional 73- to 92-year-old people who reported at least one contact with health care during the previous 12 months. RESULTS: Of all the participants, 23% recalled solely recommendations to exercise, and 9% solely warnings against exercise. Additionally, 34% recalled receiving both recommendations for and warnings against physical activity, and 34% did not recall exercise-related advice at all. Recalling solely recommendations to exercise was associated with having musculoskeletal diseases and impaired mobility. Reporting solely warnings against physical activity was more common among those having heart conditions. Recalling both recommendations for and warnings against exercise was associated with being physically active despite of having heart conditions, musculoskeletal diseases, and impaired mobility. Recalling no exercise-related advice was most common among people who were sedentary and older, had fewer chronic conditions and reported no mobility limitation. CONCLUSIONS: A substantial proportion of older people recalled negative, no, or contradicting advice about exercise. As warnings against physical activity may outweigh recommendations to exercise, special attention should be paid to the content of advice in order to avoid discouraging older people from being active.

Aged↗

PubMed2005

Patch test reactions to cosmetic allergens in 1995-1997 and 2000-2002 in Finland--a multicentre study.

Contact sensitivity to cosmetics is common, but the sensitizing chemicals vary between countries and study periods. The present survey aimed at revealing the recent trends in patch test sensitivity with cosmetic chemicals in Finland. We report a retrospective multicentre survey of patch test reactions focusing on cosmetic-related substances and comparing the test results in 1995-97 with those in 2000-02. The most striking increases in the frequency of the patch test sensitivity were found with balsam of Peru and propolis from 4.0% to 6.2% (P < 0.001) and from 0.5% to 1.4% (P < 0.001), respectively, whereas the most prominent decreases were found with methylchloro/methylisothiazolinone and chlorhexidine diglugonate from 2.4% to 1.3% (P < 0.001) and from 1.2% to 0.5% (P < 0.001), respectively. The level of patch test sensitivity to methyldibromo glutaronitrile increased, although not significantly, from 1.0% to 1.5%. An increasing tendency was also found with hair dye chemicals 4-aminophenol and toluene-2,5-diamine or toluene-2,5-diamine sulfate from 1.3% to 3.8% and from 1.4% to 5.2%, respectively, while such a tendency was not found among permanent wave chemicals. The sensitivity level of fragrance mix remained the same (6% - 7%). We conclude that surveys revealing the state of sensitivity to cosmetic chemicals should be performed periodically in different countries.

Allergens↗

PubMed2005

The European standard series in 9 European countries, 2002/2003 -- first results of the European Surveillance System on Contact Allergies.

Since January 2001, the European Surveillance System on Contact Allergies (ESSCA), supported by European Union funding (contract QLK4-CT-2001-00343), has started to collect patch-test data. This comprises a standardized clinical history and the patch-test results using the European standard series, from 17 centres in 9 European countries listed above. In 2002 and 2003, 10 511 patients' test results have been pooled and analysed. The anamnestic data partly reflect the subspecialties of some centres. The most common allergen was nickel sulfate (17.3%); however, large international variations were observed. The prevalence of contact allergy to Myroxylon pereirae resin (balsam of Peru) (5.8%) is coming close to the frequency found with the fragrance mix (6.4%). Regarding contact allergy to chromium compounds, different frequencies were noted in the 2 centres focused on occupational dermatitis (2.3% in the FIOH versus 7.4% in the Nofer Institute). These most likely reflect the beneficial effect of addition of ferrous sulfate in one, but not the other country. As differences may partly be due to different patch-test reading, standardization may need to be refined further. By providing post-marketing surveillance in the field of contact allergy, ESSCA will meet its objective of increased consumer safety across Europe.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Muscle strength, disability and mortality.

The aims of this review are to address (1) the role of muscle strength in the disablement process and (2) muscle strength as a predictor of length of life using data from prospective studies. Functional limitations, such as slow walking speed, predispose older people to disabilities. How much strength is needed for daily motor tasks such as walking varies according to other impairments present. For example, when postural balance is good, only minimum amount of strength is needed for walking. However, in the presence of balance impairment, having good level of strength may help to compensate for the deficit. Having strength well above the required level indicates reserve capacity. It was studied using data from the Honolulu Heart Program launched in 1965 among 8006 men initially aged 45-68 years, whether reserve of strength would be protective of development of future disability. All men with documented diseases at baseline were excluded from the analyses. Those men who were in the lowest third of the distribution of grip strength at baseline were at two to three times greater risk of developing disabilities assessed 25 years later compared to the highest third. It is possible that before they reach the disability level, those with greater reserve of strength may afford to lose more strength, for example following bed rest and inactivity associated with an illness. Midlife grip strength was also found to predict long-term total mortality: those with poorer strength at baseline were more likely to die over the follow-up period of 30 years. The association between muscle strength and disability is largely explained by biomechanical mechanisms. However, the mechanism explaining the association between muscle strength and mortality risk still remains to be explored.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2003

The effect of advice by health care professionals on increasing physical activity of older people.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether advice by health care professionals is associated with increased exercise activity in older people. As part of the Evergreen follow-up study, self-report data on exercise related advice were collected in 1996 and physical activity in 1988 and 1996 among 611 non-institutional people initially aged 65-84 years. Logistic regression analyses were used to study the association of recollection of having received exercise counseling with increased activity. Of all the subjects, 92% reported having been in contact with health care professionals during the follow-up period, and 58% of them recalled having been advised to exercise. Those men and women who recalled having received advice, started to participate in supervised exercise classes 5-6 times more often than those who did not recall being advised. The odds ratio (95% confidence interval) in men was 6.27 (1.19-32.9), and in women 5.27 (1.97-14.1). For calisthenics at home, the corresponding figure was 12.5 (3.52-44.4) in men. We concluded that initiating new physical activities in old age is strongly connected to encouragement to exercise by health care professionals. Health care professionals should be supported to promote exercise among older patients.

Aged↗

PubMed2002

Effects of a group-based exercise program on the mood state of frail older women after discharge from hospital.

BACKGROUND: Older people with somatic illnesses are at increased risk of depression. It is not known whether exercise alleviates depressive symptoms in frail, very old people recuperating from an acute illness. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of a group-based exercise training program on mood. METHODS: Sixty-eight women (mean age 83.0, SD 3.9 years) who were hospitalized due to an acute illness, and were mobility impaired at admission, were randomized into group-based 10-week strength training intervention (N=34) and home exercise control (N=34) groups. Twenty-four women in the training and 28 in the control group completed the follow-up. Measures of mood state with the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (ZSDS) were performed before and after the training intervention, and follow-up data was collected 3 and 9 months after the end of the intervention. RESULTS: After the intervention, there was a significant improvement in mood in the intervention group compared to the home exercise control group: -3.1 (SD 9.0) points vs +1.3 (SD 7.6) points (p=0.048) and the positive effect was still apparent three months after the intervention ceased: -2.6 (SD 7.7) points vs +3.5 (SD 9.7) points (p=0.015). Improvement of mood state at the first follow-up measurement was associated with the improvement in lower limb isometric muscle strength. CONCLUSIONS: Group-based exercise program organized in the context of a Finnish health care organization improved mood in frail older women recuperating from an acute illness.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed2002

Muscle strength before and mortality after a bone fracture in older people.

We studied whether muscle strength measured before a bone fracture predicts mortality following the fracture. The participants were a sub-cohort of 82 people of a total of 493 Evergreen project participants initially aged 75- and 80 years, who had participated in knee extension strength tests as part of the baseline examinations, and who subsequently suffered at least one bone fracture. Maximal isometric knee extension strength was measured at baseline using an adjustable dynamometer chair. Fracture surveillance was carried out from patient records for 5 years, and mortality surveillance from population register for 10 years after baseline examinations. Average time till a fracture occurred after the baseline was 878 days (SD 576). Subsequent to the fracture, 32 deaths occurred. Using gender-specific cut-offs, three equal distribution-based groups were formed. A gradient risk of mortality was found according to baseline strength. The crude mortality rate per 1000 person-months was 15.2 in the lowest 4.9 in the middle and 1.7 in the highest third of baseline knee extension strength. The adjusted relative risk (RR) of death was 4.40 (95% confidence interval, CI 1.40-13.80) in the lowest and 2.39 (95% CI 0.68-8.4) in the middle tertile vs the highest tertile of muscle strength. Poor muscle strength measured before a fracture occurred was a powerful predictor of increased mortality after the fracture. Poor muscle strength may be a good indicator of overall vulnerability and frailty in old age, and strength testing could be helpful in targeting older people for preventive interventions.

Aged↗

PubMed2002

Serum and plasma as alternative sample types in analysis of cardiac markers in the clinical routine.

There is an increasing demand for the results of cardiac markers (troponin I or T, creatine kinase MB mass and myoglobin) to be made available promptly after sample-taking. In order to shorten the turnaround time, the possibility of using EDTA- or heparin-plasma instead of serum was investigated. The study population comprised 391 patients with acute chest pain. Four different instruments and systems routinely used in Finland giving quantitative results were studied for the assays of creatine kinase isoenzyme MB mass, myoglobin, and troponin I or troponin T. In addition to serum samples, heparin-plasma seems to be useful for all three assays using the Access and Immulite systems, while EDTA-plasma seems to be useful for all three assays with the Access and Elecsys systems. For the AxSYM assays, serum samples seem to be the best alternative. In conclusion, it is possible to use a single EDTA- or heparin-plasma sample for Access, Elecsys and Immulite analysers, and thereby to shorten the turnaround time. In this way the quantitative analyses from plasma can be performed 30 min after taking the sample.

Biomarkers↗

PubMed2001

Differences in the diagnosis of myocardial infarction by troponin T compared with clinical and epidemiologic criteria.

We investigated the difference in the number of myocardial infarction (MI) diagnoses based on troponin T compared with clinical and epidemiologic (modified FINnish Multinational MONItoring of trends and determinants in CArdiovascular diseases) diagnoses, and the prognosis of patients with discordant diagnoses. Five hundred fifty-nine consecutive patients (315 men and 244 women, median age 69 years) were admitted to the hospital with a suspected acute coronary syndrome. Median follow-up time was 17 months. Of the 559 patients, 127 had a clinical and 137 an epidemiologic diagnosis of MI. When a diagnosis of MI was primarily based on troponin T (>0.10 microg/L), the number of MIs was 169, which increased by 33% compared with the number of MIs by clinical diagnosis, and by 23% compared with those by epidemiologic diagnosis. However, troponin T was not elevated in 13% of the 127 patients with the clinical diagnosis and in 14% of the 137 patients with the epidemiologic diagnosis of MI. Among patients in whom clinical diagnosis of MI was not made, the prognosis with regard to coronary death or nonfatal MI was not significantly worse in patients with troponin T >0.10 microg/L than < or =0.10 microg/L (hazard ratio 1.07; 95% confidence interval 0.62 to 1.84). In patients with a suspected acute coronary syndrome, troponin T-based diagnostics leads to an increase in the number of patients diagnosed with MI compared with clinical or epidemiologic diagnosis. The prognostic impact of troponin T in patients without clinical diagnosis of MI based on elevations in conventional enzyme activities needs further study in larger series of patients.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Concentration-dependent phototoxicity in trimethylpsoralen bath psoralen ultraviolet A.

BACKGROUND: Long-term use of topical trimethylpsoralen (TMP) psoralen bath plus ultraviolet A (bath PUVA) is considered safe with regard to the risk of skin cancer. However, the potential for severe phototoxicity limits its use. OBJECTIVES: To study the effect of dilution of the TMP bath on the minimal phototoxic dose (MPD). METHODS: Fifteen volunteers participated in the study. The MPD tests were performed for three TMP concentrations: 0.33 mg L-1, 0.1 mg L-1 and 0.033 mg L-1 at 2-week intervals. Geometric UVA dose series increasing by a factor of radical2 were used for the testing on the previously unexposed buttock skin. The MPD72 h was assessed at 72 h from the bath. RESULTS: For the highest TMP concentration of 0.33 mg L-1, the median MPD72 h was 0.14 J cm-2 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.10-0.14 J cm-2). For the diluted TMP bath concentration of 0.1 mg L-1, the median MPD72 h increased to 0.29 J cm-2 (95% CI, 0.2-0.41 J cm-2) and for 0.033 mg L-1 to 0.81 J cm-2 (95% CI, 0.57-1.15 J cm-2), respectively. Thus, diluting the labelled concentration of 0.33 mg L-1 1 : 10 increased the median MPD72 h 5.6-fold. CONCLUSIONS: With regard to the safety and practicality of the TMP bath PUVA, the lower concentrations of TMP may be of clinical importance, and this needs to be validated in future controlled clinical trials.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Coimpairments as predictors of severe walking disability in older women.

OBJECTIVE: Severe disabilities are common among older people who have impairments in a range of physiologic systems. It is not known, however, whether the presence of multiple impairments, or coimpairments, is associated with increased risk of developing new disability. The aim of this study was to determine the combined effects of two impairments, decreased knee-extension strength and poor standing balance, on the risk of developing severe walking disability among older, moderately-to-severely disabled women who did not have severe walking disability at baseline. DESIGN: The Women's Health and Aging Study is a 3-year prospective study with 6 semi-annual follow-up data-collection rounds following the baseline. SETTING: At baseline, knee-extension strength and standing balance tests took place in the participants' homes. PARTICIPANTS: 758 women who were not severely walking disabled at baseline. MEASUREMENTS: Severe walking disability was defined as customary walking speed of < 0.4 meters/second and inability to walk one quarter of a mile, or being unable to walk. RESULTS: Over the course of the study, 173 women became severely disabled in walking. The cumulative incidence of severe walking disability from the first to the sixth follow-up was: 7.8%, 12.0%, 15.1% 19.5% 21.2%, and 22.8%. In Cox proportional hazards models, both strength and balance were significant predictors of new walking disability. In the best balance category, the rates of developing severe walking disability expressed per 100 person years were 3.1, 6.1, and 5.3 in the highest- to lowest-strength tertiles. In the middle balance category, the rates were 9.6, 13.2, and 14.7, and in the poorest balance category 21.6, 12.7, and 37.1, correspondingly. The relative risk (RR) of onset of severe walking disability adjusted for age, height, weight, and race was more than five times greater in the group with poorest balance and strength (RR 5.12, 95% confidence limit [95% CI] 2.68-9.80) compared with the group with best balance and strength (the reference group). Among those who had poorest balance and best strength, the RR of severe walking disability was 3.08 (95% CI 1.33-7.14). Among those with best balance and poorest strength, the RR was 0.97 (95% CI 0.49-1.93), as compared with the reference group. CONCLUSION: The presence of coimpairments is a powerful predictor of new, severe walking disability, an underlying cause of dependence in older people. Substantial reduction in the risk of walking disability could be achieved even if interventions were successful in correcting only one of the impairments because a deficit in only one physiologic system may be compensated for by good capacity in another system.

Aged↗

PubMed2001

Ruling out myocardial infarction with troponin T and creatine kinase MB mass: diagnostic and prognostic aspects.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the time window for ruling out myocardial infarction (MI) with troponin T (TnT) and creatine kinase isoenzyme MB mass (CK-MBm) and the prognosis of patients with ruled-out MI diagnosis. DESIGN: The study was based on 397 patients admitted with a suspected acute coronary syndrome but with relief of symptoms within 24 h. RESULTS: MI diagnosis was confirmed with elevated TnT (>0.10 microg/l) in 108 patients. in 91% within 12-24 h from the onset of symptoms, and in 99% within 12 h from admission. In 94 of these patients CK-MBm became elevated (>5.0 microg/l). in 95% within 10-12 h from the onset of symptoms, and in 99% within 6 h from admission. Among patients with ruled-out MI diagnosis, the 1-year incidence of recurrent coronary events was 29% in those with positive history of coronary heart disease (CHD) but only 7% in those without prior CHD (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Using TnT or CK-MBm, MI can be ruled out within 12 h from admission in the majority of patients. Among patients with ruled-out MI diagnosis, positive history of CHD is an important determinant of prognosis.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Severity of upper and lower extremity functional limitation: scale development and validation with self-report and performance-based measures of physical function. WHAS Research Group. Women's Health and Aging Study.

OBJECTIVES: To better understand disablement and transitions from impairment to disability, discrete valid measures of functional limitation are needed. This study reports the development and criterion-related validity of scales that quantify severity of upper and lower extremity functional limitation. METHODS: Data are from 3,635 cognitively intact community-dwelling women aged 65 years and older and 1,002 moderately to severely disabled participants in the Women's Health and Aging Study. Scales assessing severity of upper and lower extremity functional limitation were constructed from commonly available questions on functional difficulty. Criterion-related validity was evaluated with self-report and performance-based measures. RESULTS: The upper and lower extremity scales range from 0 to 6 and 0 to 9, respectively. Scale scores were well distributed in the disabled group and discriminated limitations in the broader community. For both scales, rates of difficulty for all ADL and IADL increased (p<.001) with increasing severity score, and percent able and mean performance on respective upper and lower extremity tasks decreased (p<.01). DISCUSSION: These scales, constructed from commonly used self-report measures of function, provide discrete measures of upper and lower functional limitation. Because these scales are distinct from measures of disability and impairment, their use should facilitate increased understanding of the disablement process.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2001

Expression of six peptidases from Lactobacillus helveticus in Lactococcus lactis.

For development of novel starter strains with improved proteolytic properties, the ability of Lactococcus lactis to produce Lactobacillus helveticus aminopeptidase N (PepN), aminopeptidase C (PepC), X-prolyl dipeptidyl aminopeptidase (PepX), proline iminopeptidase (PepI), prolinase (PepR), and dipeptidase (PepD) was studied by introducing the genes encoding these enzymes into L. lactis MG1363 and its derivatives. According to Northern analyses and enzyme activity measurements, the L. helveticus aminopeptidase genes pepN, pepC, and pepX are expressed under the control of their own promoters in L. lactis. The highest expression level, using a low-copy-number vector, was obtained with the L. helveticus pepN gene, which resulted in a 25-fold increase in PepN activity compared to that of wild-type L. lactis. The L. helveticus pepI gene, residing as a third gene in an operon in its host, was expressed in L. lactis under the control of the L. helveticus pepX promoter. The genetic background of the L. lactis derivatives tested did not affect the expression level of any of the L. helveticus peptidases studied. However, the growth medium used affected both the recombinant peptidase profiles in transformant strains and the resident peptidase activities. The levels of expression of the L. helveticus pepD and pepR clones under the control of their own promoters were below the detection limit in L. lactis. However, substantial amounts of recombinant pepD and PepR activities were obtained in L. lactis when pepD and pepR were expressed under the control of the inducible lactococcal nisA promoter at an optimized nisin concentration.

Blotting, Northern↗

PubMed2001

C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, interleukin-6 and tumour necrosis factor-alpha in the prognostic classification of unstable angina pectoris.

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory process has been found to play an important role in the pathogenesis of coronary heart disease (CHD) and in the prognosis of CHD patients. AIM. The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen, interleukin (IL)-6 and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in patients with unstable angina pectoris (UAP), including factor analysis to assess their joint effects. METHODS: The study comprised 263 consecutive patients (159 men, 104 women; median age 68 years) with UAP. Blood samples for the acute-phase protein and cytokine determinations were drawn on admission. RESULTS: Coronary mortality during the median follow-up time of 17 months was 6-fold higher in the highest tertile for CRP and IL-6 and 3.5-fold higher in the highest tertile for fibrinogen and TNF-alpha than in the respective combined lower tertiles. Factor analysis produced two underlying factors, ie the 'inflammation' factor, including CRP, fibrinogen and IL-6, and the 'injury' factor, including troponin T, creatine kinase MB mass and TNF-alpha. In Cox models, both of these factors were independent predictors of the risk of coronary death and major coronary events (coronary death or nonfatal myocardial infarction). CONCLUSIONS: Elevated levels of acute-phase proteins and cytokines, particularly CRP and IL-6, are strong predictors of the risk of serious coronary events in patients with UAP.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

A multicenter study of patch test reactions with dental screening series.

BACKGROUND: Dental products contain many allergens, and may cause problems both for patients undergoing dental treatment and for dental personnel because of occupational exposure. Individual patch test clinics may not study sufficient numbers of patients to collect reliable data on uncommon allergens. OBJECTIVE: To collect information on dental allergens based on a multicenter study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Finnish Contact Dermatitis Group tested more than 4,000 patients (for most allergens, 2,300 to 2,600 patients) with dental screening series. Conventional patch testing was performed. The total number and percentage of irritant (scored as irritant [IR] or doubtful [?]) and allergic (scored as +, ++, or +++) patch test reactions, respectively, were calculated, as well as the highest and lowest percentage of allergic patch test reactions recorded by the different patch test clinics. A reaction index (RI) was calculated, giving information on the irritancy of the patch test substances. RESULTS: The most frequent allergic patch test reactions were caused by nickel (14.6%), ammoniated mercury (13%), mercury (10.3%), gold (7.7%), benzoic acid (4.3%), palladium (4.2%) and cobalt (4.1%). 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (2.8%) provoked most of the reactions caused by (meth)acrylates. Menthol, peppermint oil, ammonium tetrachloroplatinate, and amalgam alloying metals provoked no (neither allergic nor irritant) patch test reactions. CONCLUSION: Patch testing with allergens in the dental screening series, including (meth)acrylates and mercury, needs to be performed to detect contact allergy to dental products.

Allergens↗

PubMed2000

Cumulative UV radiation dose and outcome in clinical practice: effectiveness of trioxsalen bath PUVA with minimal UVA exposure.

BACKGROUND: The cumulative artificial ultraviolet (UV) exposure dose of dermatological patients was prospectively monitored in clinical conditions for a total of 2 years (August 1997 - July 1999). We focused on whole body UV treatments, i.e. the trioxsalen (TMP) bath PUVA, the broad-band UVB, and the UVA plus UVB phototherapy. METHODS: Irradiance of the UV devices was calibrated with a spectroradiometer. The cumulative UV doses received by the patients were recorded. A visual analog scale scoring system (VAS) was employed to assess the improvement of various skin conditions at the end of the treatment course. RESULTS: The analysis included 265 patients (141 females and 124 males) and a total of 311 UV treatment courses. Treatments consisted of 86 courses of TMP bath PUVA for psoriasis with a mean cumulative UVA dose of 3.54 J/cm2 and an improvement rate of 89%. For other conditions, 30 courses were needed, with a cumulative UVA dose of 1.47 J/cm2 and an improvement rate of 76%. Altogether, 47 UVB courses were undertaken for psoriasis, and the mean cumulative unweighted UV dose was 2.20 J/cm2, equivalent to 85 standard erythema doses (SED), and an improvement rate of 85%. A total of 25 UVB courses was used for other skin conditions with a mean UV dose of 1.05 J/ cm2, equivalent to 40 SED, and an improvement rate of 71%. A total of 123 courses of UVA plus UVB phototherapy were completed, resulting in a mean cumulative dose of 73.01 J/cm2 for UVA and 0.75 J/cm2 for the unweighted UVB, equivalent to 29 SED. The VAS improvement rate was 85%. CONCLUSION: The exceptionally low mean cumulative UVA dose in the TMP bath PUVA, taken together with the previous report showing no increase in the risk of squamous cell carcinoma or cutaneous malignant melanoma after TMP bath PUVA, suggests that TMP bath PUVA is an effective and safe therapeutic option.

Adolescent↗