Disseminated granuloma annulare responsive to narrowband ultraviolet B therapy.
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A case is presented of a patient with psoriasis in whom squamous cell carcinoma most likely occurred due to the interaction of various factors (psoralen-ultraviolet A therapy, sun exposure, and suppression of natural killer cell function). Therapy consisted of 1 mg/kg/daily of etretinate (Tegison), which resulted in clearing of psoriatic lesions in one month's time. New carcinomas did not develop and natural killer function improved.
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A man with keratosis lichenoides chronica is described who, unlike previously described patients, had had his eruption since infancy. Moreover, this patient had prominent oral involvement resembling lichen planus. Typically, keratosis lichenoides chronica is recalcitrant to all forms of treatment, but this patient responded substantially to psoralen-ultraviolet-A therapy. Several weeks after treatment was completed, he showed no signs of relapse.
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BACKGROUND: Combination treatment with topical vitamin D(3) and narrow-band ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation is effective against psoriasis vulgaris. We compared the efficacy of the topical vitamin D(3) derivatives calcipotriol and maxacalcitol in combination therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective observational study, 21 patients admitted to Nagoya City University Hospital between April 2001 and September 2004 were enrolled. RESULTS: Combination treatment with calcipotriol or maxacalcitol and narrow-band UVB was effective against psoriasis vulgaris. Calcipotriol induced a more rapid improvement and required lower levels of narrow-band UVB irradiation to be effective. Serum calcium levels were slightly increased after 4 weeks of treatment, but there was no significant difference between the two groups. No other adverse effects were observed in either of the two groups. CONCLUSION: The findings of this retrospective observational study indicated that combination treatment with topical vitamin D(3) derivatives and narrow-band UVB is effective against psoriasis without any obvious side-effects. These findings provide further evidence that calcipotriol has advantages over maxacalcitol regarding the narrow-band UVB-accumulated treatment dose and improvement rate of psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) scores.
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BACKGROUND: Both bath psoralen plus ultraviolet A (PUVA) and oral PUVA with 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) have been successfully used for the treatment of recalcitrant palmoplantar psoriasis. This trial was designed to assess the efficacy and side effects of the different treatment modalities in a randomized half-side comparison. METHODS: Eight patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis on soles (n = 6) and/or palms (n = 8) were randomly assigned to receive bath PUVA treatment on one side and oral PUVA on the other. Initial treatment dose was 50% of the minimal phototoxic dose evaluated for bath PUVA and oral PUVA. Treatment was given three times a week for 4 weeks. Before treatment and every week a severity index (SI) was assessed by summing the scores of erythema, infiltration, scaling and vesicles evaluated on a scale from 0 to 4. After 4 weeks of treatment the half-side trial was finished and the treatment was continued on both sides with the more effective treatment regimen. RESULTS: Both bath PUVA and oral PUVA achieved a reduction of the mean initial SI from 5.9 (95% confidence intervals (CI) 4.5-8.0) to 3.3 (1.8-6.0) (44% SI reduction, P < 0.005, Student's paired t-test) and 6.0 (5.0-7.8) to 2.9 (1.8-4.0) (52% SI reduction; P < 0.005), respectively. The statistical comparison of the entire 4-week study period revealed a significant better effect in lesions treated with oral PUVA compared with bath PUVA (P = 0.033). However, at 4 weeks, there was no significant difference between the achieved SI reduction of oral PUVA and bath PUVA. Systemic side effects (nausea and/or dizziness) were only observed after oral PUVA. CONCLUSION: This study gives evidence that in the first 4 treatment weeks oral PUVA is slightly more effective than bath PUVA but the former has more systemic side effects.
In 1979-1981, 107 patients with atopic dermatitis were treated with Psorilux 9050 emitting 1.24 mW/cm2 at 280-315 nm and 7.33 mW/cm2 at 315-400 nm. Half of the patients received one treatment course, 20% 2-3 courses, and one third more than 3 treatment courses. A good result was obtained in 93% of the cases but in the other cases the treatment was either ineffective or the patients were too sensitive to the radiation. After the treatment, the need for treatment with topical corticosteroids had decreased in one half of the patients and increased in only 2% of them. In 1982-1983, 89 atopics were treated with Metec Helarium model 1480, emitting both UVB and UVA (310-340 nm, with a peak at 320-330 nm). One treatment course, 3-45 weeks (mean 19 weeks), was given to 69 patients, and two treatment courses to 20 patients. The treatment was effective in 94% of the patients. The others did not respond. After the treatment, the need of treatment with topical corticosteroids had decreased in 85% of the cases, and increased in none. Psorilux therapy caused II degree burns in two patients and erythema lasting greater than 24 hours in 11 patients. Erythema was encountered in 14 patients receiving Metec Helarium therapy but in no cases II degree burns. Seventeen patients received both Psorilux and Metec Helarium therapies and 14 of them preferred the latter.
Twenty-six patients with extensive psoriasis were treated with a 3-week course of methotrexate followed by a combination of ultraviolet B (UVB) therapy and methotrexate. A plaque of psoriasis was shielded during UV therapy to serve as a control. When lesions cleared to less than 5% of body involvement, the methotrexate was stopped and UVB therapy alone was used as maintenance therapy. This protocol achieved clearance of disease in all twenty-six patients in a mean of 7 (+/- 1.5) weeks, with twelve (+/- 4.0) exposures to UVB therapy and a final UVB radiation dose at clearance of 320 (+/- 157) mjoules/cm2. The mean total dose of methotrexate was 112 mg (range, 75 mg-165 mg). At the time of clearing, the shielded area had a decrease in sealing and thickness in twenty-two patients but was free of psoriasis in only four patients. In a preliminary study we were unable to reproduce a methotrexate recall of UV-induced erythema. The combination therapy of methotrexate and UVB allows for clearing of psoriasis at relatively low doses of UVB and methotrexate, and thus may reduce the long-term cumulative toxicity of both agents.
Interleukin-1 (IL-1) is a potent cytokine with a wide range of biologic activities including induction of several acute phase responses. Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is widely used as a therapeutic modality to treat many chronic skin diseases, including psoriasis. In the present study, we investigated whether ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation induced circulating IL-1 in the plasma of patients undergoing chronic UVB therapy. In order to remove plasma proteins which inhibit IL-1-induced T-cell proliferation, each plasma sample was chromatographed and each fraction was assayed for IL-1 activity. There was no detectable IL-1 before and 1 h after UVB radiation; IL-1 appeared 4 h after treatment and was absent after 24 h. Plasma IL-1 was neutralized by antibodies to recombinant human IL-1 beta and alpha. The anti-IL-1 alpha, but not anti-IL-1 beta, antibodies partially neutralized the IL-1 activity present in a keratinocyte cell line supernate. These results demonstrate that UVB therapy induces circulating IL-1 and that this IL-1 may originate from both keratinocyte and non-keratinocyte sources.
A woman with mycosis fungoides treated by psoralen with ultraviolet A (PUVA) and electron beam therapy developed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) three years later. Karyotypic analysis of the leukemia cells revealed monosomy 7. Fluorescence in situ hybridization showed that the monosomy 7 clone had accounted for about a third of the marrow cells after PUVA treatment, but replaced the entire marrow at leukemic transformation. These findings were consistent with a secondary AML evolving from an underlying myelodysplasia, supporting that PUVA therapy might have a mutagenic effect on hematopoietic cells. This might be related to its effect on circulating hematopoietic stem cells.
Vitiligo destroys the melanocytes in the epidermis; the inactive melanocytes in the outer root sheaths are not affected. Phosphatidylcholine liposomes are able to target molecules contained in them into the hair follicles. Khellin is activated by UVA and previous studies have shown that a combination of khellin and UVA (KUVA) can be effective in the treatment of vitiligo. The aim of this study was to determine in an open trial the efficacy and safety of treatment with khellin encapsulated in L-phenylalanine stabilized phosphatidylcholine liposomes in combination with UVA/UVB light therapy(KPLUV) in 74 subjects with vitiligo. After a mean treatment period of 12 months (range 10-14 months) 72% of the treated locations had a repigmentation response of 50% to 100%. Repigmentation of 75-100% was achieved on the face in 63%, the back in 59%, the arms in 58%, the trunk in 57%, the legs in 56% and on the hands in 4% of the patients. Side effects were not seen with KPLUV. The patients in the control group, only treated with UVA/B-light, hardly showed any repigmentation. This indicates that the exposure of the skin to UV light alone is not responsible for the results of KPLUV.
Understanding how photoadaptation differs between individuals is important when considering susceptibility to the beneficial and harmful effects of sunlight exposure and when determining optimal phototherapy regimens. Most narrowband UVB (NB-UVB) regimens start with 70% of the minimal erythema dose (MED) with 20% increments at each treatment thereafter. We retrospectively studied 352 skin types I-IV psoriatic patients having twice weekly treatment with this regimen. Patients with high skin types tended to have high MEDs (P<0.001). By session 20 the proportion of patients who had developed erythema was approximately 60% regardless of MED. Among patients who developed erythema, the number of treatments before erythema occurred did not differ between skin types (P=0.33). We conclude that patients with high skin types photoadapt approximately equally per physical unit of UVR in comparison to those with low skin types, but they have greater photoadaptation in absolute terms because they are able to tolerate a higher initial dose of radiation. Differences in skin type or MED are not associated with clinically important differences in tendency to erythema during a standard 70/20% NB-UVB twice-weekly regimen. This regimen is suitable for all skin types I-IV patients regardless of skin type or MED.
Three patients with long-standing pityriasis lichenoides, which was resistant to other forms of therapy, were successfully treated with PUVA (psoralens and ultraviolet light of wavelength A). One patient had complete clearing of all lesions, and the other two had marked improvement. PUVA is being used to treat increasing numbers of patients with pityriasis lichenoides, and the results have been very good.
BACKGROUND: Narrow-band (311 nm) UVB is an effective treatment modality for moderate to severe psoriasis. The effect of maintenance narrow-band UVB on the duration of remission is unknown. AIM: To determine whether maintenance narrow-band UVB affects the duration of remission. METHODS: After clinically significant improvement [defined as 75% reduction in the initial Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) = "PASI 75"], patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups, namely maintenance and no maintenance. The first group received 2 months of maintenance therapy; the second group received no further treatment. Both groups were followed up for 1 year. RESULTS: At the end of 12 weeks, 46 of 50 patients (92%) achieved "PASI 75". Of these 46 patients, 32 had plaque-type psoriasis and 14 had guttate-type psoriasis. The numbers of patients assigned to the maintenance and no maintenance groups were 22 and 24, respectively. At the end of the study, 12 of the 22 patients (55%) in the maintenance group and, by contrast, eight of the 24 patients (33%) in the no maintenance group were still in remission. When the patients in both groups were categorized according to the type of psoriasis, eight of 14 (57%) patients with plaque-type psoriasis in the maintenance group and, by contrast, three of 18 (17%) in the no maintenance group were still in remission. Although numerically significant, life-table analysis indicated no statistically significant difference for the probability of remaining in remission between maintenance and no maintenance groups. CONCLUSIONS: The results provide some evidence that maintenance narrow-band UVB may achieve longer remission durations for patients with plaque-type psoriasis.