title: [Effect of treatment with salt from the Dead Sea (Tomesa therapy) on epidermal Langerhans cells--a clinical study].
abstract: Among the therapeutical modes of psoriasis, sea-water baths with salts from the Dead Sea in combination with ultraviolet light (Tomesa therapy) play an important part. In a previous paper, we showed that treatment of isolated murine skin with Tomesa salt solutions resulted in an irreversible decrease of ATPase-positive epidermal Langerhans' cells. Our present study is concerned with the treatment of healthy persons and psoriasis patients with baths containing Tomesa salts, which lead to reduced amounts of detectable Langerhans' cells in the epidermis, as well. Baths containing sodium chloride in comparable concentrations, however, were without effect at all. Our findings demonstrate that the antipsoriatic activity of Tomesa therapy is not only due to physical effects but may also be the result of definable pharmacological actions of the salts on skin cells.
authors.affiliation: Hautklinik und Poliklinik des Bereichs Medizin (Charité), Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gruner
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zwirner
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Boonen
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sönnichsen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001452:Balneology; D001706:Biopsy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006801:Humans; D007801:Langerhans Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D012462:Saline Solution, Hypertonic / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D012462:Saline Solution, Hypertonic
vernacular_title: Der Einfluss einer Behandlung mit Salz des Toten Meeres (Tomesa-Therapie) auf epidermale Langerhanszellen--Eine klinische Studie.