title: 8-Methoxypsoralen and ultraviolet A therapy for cutaneous manifestations of graft-versus-host disease.
abstract: The potentially beneficial effect of 8-methoxypsoralen and ultraviolet A (PUVA) irradiation for treatment of drug-resistant cutaneous manifestations of graft-versus-host disease led us to investigate the effect of this therapy in a larger series of patients with GvHD. To date, 11 patients with histologically demonstrated cutaneous GvHD (acute GvHD grade III-IV in 4 patients, extensive lichenoid chronic GvHD in 6 patients, sclerodermatous chronic GvHD in 1 patient) have received PUVA treatment for 2-24 weeks. All patients have been on CsA for GvH prophylaxis; 5 with mismatched grafts had additionally received methotrexate or monoclonal antibody campath-1 after bone marrow transplantation. Seven patients were on CsA and prednisolone; 2 patients on CsA, prednisolone, and azathioprine; 1 patient on azathioprine and prednisolone; and 1 patient had no immunosuppressive treatment for the duration of PUVA treatment. The 8-methoxypsoralen (0.6 mg/kg bw) was given as photosensitizer before each ultraviolet A irradiation (0.3-8.5 joules/cm2). The only observed adverse reaction was mild nausea. In all patients improvement of cutaneous lesions could be observed with complete response in 5 patients and partial response in 6 patients. Immunosuppressive drugs could be withdrawn in 2 patients and reduced in 8 patients after initiation of PUVA treatment. These findings suggest that PUVA therapy may be a useful adjunct to conventional therapy for cutaneous GvHD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University Hospital, Tübingen, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Eppinger
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ehninger
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Steinert
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Niethammer
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dopfer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008730:Methoxsalen / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011701:PUVA Therapy; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D008730:Methoxsalen