title: The treatment of erythropoietic protoporphyria. Experience with beta-carotene.
abstract: In a group of 19 subjects suffering from erythropoietic protoporphyria the administration of beta-carotene appeared to produce improvement based on a subjective assessment of alterations in exposure times required to produce the symptoms and signs of the condition. This clinical improvement however failed to show a direct correlation with the prophyrin levels in blood and faeces, or with the estimation by phototesting of the minimal response dose within the action spectrum of 400-600 nm.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011164:Porphyrias / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D011166:Porphyrins / Q000378:metabolism; D011524:Protoporphyrins / Q000097:blood; D013472:Sunlight; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D011166:Porphyrins; D011524:Protoporphyrins; D014801:Vitamin A; D002338:Carotenoids