부산대학교 도서관

BACKGROUND: The addition of calcipotriol ointment to PUVA therapy for psoriasis vulgaris results in a lower total UVA dose and a faster onset of response. The addition of calcipotriol cream to PUVA, however, has not been studied. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether combining calcipotriol cream with PUVA therapy has a UVA sparing effect. METHODS: We performed a randomized, multicentre, vehicle-controlled, double-blind, 12-week comparative study including 120 patients with psoriasis covering 20-50% body surface area. The study consisted of a washout phase followed by a 10-week treatment phase. PUVA therapy three times weekly was added within 1 week after randomization. Efficacy was assessed by the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI). RESULTS: At baseline the mean PASI scores were 17.5 and 19.2 in the calcipotriol and vehicle (placebo) groups, respectively. At the end of treatment, the mean PASI scores were 2.65 and 7.03 ( p <0.01), respectively. A reduction in PASI score >90% was observed in 69% of the patients in the calcipotriol-treated group and in 36.4% of the patients in the vehicle group ( p <0.01). CONCLUSION: Calcipotriol cream plus PUVA clearly reduces the cumulative dose of UVA and improves the response of psoriasis vulgaris to PUVA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]