title: Treatment of psoriasis vulgaris with a synthetic metalloporphyrin and UVA light.
abstract: Sn-protoporphyrin is a synthetic heme analogue which inhibits the catabolism of natural heme to bilirubin and can suppress a wide variety of experimentally induced or naturally occurring forms of jaundice in animals and man. Ten patients, 9 of whom were substantially or completely unresponsive to other forms of therapy, received 2.0 mumol/kg body weight of Sn-protoporphyrin on day 0 of this study followed by UVA light treatment for 21 days. Severity of psoriatic plaques, clinically scored (erythema 0-3; scaling, 0-3; infiltration, 0-3;) declined from a mean +/- score of 7 +/- 0.3 on day 0 to 3.6 +/- 0.7 on day 21. Psoriatic lesions were improved in all patients and in some the effect was dramatic. No deleterious side effects were registered. As shown in this study, one-day treatment with Sn-protoporphyrin followed by conventional UVA light treatment may be a useful therapeutic modality for psoriasis patients and merits further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Huddinge University Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Emtestam
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Berglund
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Angelin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kappas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008665:Metalloporphyrins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011166:Porphyrins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011524:Protoporphyrins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D014467:Ultraviolet Therapy / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D008665:Metalloporphyrins; D011166:Porphyrins; D011524:Protoporphyrins; C032628:tin protoporphyrin IX