title: Vitamin D analogues in the treatment of psoriasis.
abstract: Psoriasis is a chronic hyperproliferative skin disease in which inflammatory and immunologic processes may play important pathophysiologic roles. Recently the skin has been identified as a target tissue for vitamin D. Because 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D3 inhibits epidermal proliferation and promotes epidermal differentiation, it has been introduced for the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris. In addition to 1,25-(OH)2-D3, synthetic vitamin D3 analogues have undergone clinical evaluation. Calcipotriol (INN) (calcipotriene [USAN]) has been studied most extensively. Compared with 1,25-(OH)2-D3, calcipotriol is about 200 times less potent in its effects on calcium metabolism, although similar in receptor affinity. Topical calcipotriol 50 micrograms/g applied twice daily is efficacious and safe for the treatment of psoriasis. Because topical calcipotriol is slightly more efficacious than betamethasone 17-valerate and dithranol, calcipotriol should be considered a first line drug in the management of psoriasis. These results illustrate that it is possible to separate the vitamin D effects on the cellular level from those on calcium metabolism not only in vitro, but also in a clinical setting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Marselisborg Hospital, University of Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kragballe
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D