title: An open study of vitamin D3 treatment in psoriasis vulgaris.
abstract: Active forms of vitamin D3, 1 alpha-hydroxyvitamin D3 and 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, were administered in an open-design study to 40 patients with psoriasis vulgaris in three ways: to 17 patients 1 alpha-hydroxyvitamin D3 was given orally at a dose of 1.0 micrograms/day for 6 months, to four patients 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 was given orally at a dose of 0.5 microgram/day for 6 months, and 19 patients were given 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 applied topically at concentration of 0.5 microgram/g of base for 8 weeks. Improvement was observed at the end of the individual study periods in 13 (76%) patients in Group 1 with a mean period of treatment (+/- SD) of 2.7 +/- 0.6 months, in one patient in Group 2 at 3 months after the start of treatment, and in 16 (84%) patients in Group 3 when the chemical was applied for 3.3 +/- 1.2 weeks. No side-effects were observed in any of these trials. These data suggest that psoriasis may respond to active metabolites of vitamin D3 and that abnormalities in vitamin D metabolism or in responsiveness of the skin cells to active metabolites of vitamin D may be involved in the pathogenesis of this skin disease.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood; D002762:Cholecalciferol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004100:Dihydroxycholecalciferols / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006887:Hydroxycholecalciferols / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000097:blood; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D004100:Dihydroxycholecalciferols; D006887:Hydroxycholecalciferols; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone; D002762:Cholecalciferol; D002116:Calcitonin; C008088:alfacalcidol