Vitamin A and E blood levels in erythrodermic and pustular psoriasis associated with chronic alcoholism.
Vitamin A and E blood levels were determined, using a high-performance liquid chromatographic method, in 7 patients with erythrodermic psoriasis or psoriatic acral pustulosis associated or not associated with chronic alcoholism, during and after the acute episode. These vitamins were also studied in 5 patients with psoriasis vulgaris involving more than 80% of the surface body area and associated with chronic alcohol intake and in 17 patients with psoriasis vulgaris involving more than 50% of the skin but without chronic alcoholism. Vitamin A blood levels were reduced in all the patients in the group "erythrodermic psoriasis/psoriatic acral pustulosis", while vitamin E blood levels were below the normal range during the acute psoriatic episode only in the 5 patients having a history of chronic alcohol intake in this group. In the other groups--psoriasis vulgaris with chronic alcoholism and psoriasis vulgaris without heavy alcohol consumption--vitamin A and E blood levels were not reduced. The implication of vitamin E in psoriasis, probably by its antioxidant activity, and its relationship with selenium are discussed. We suggest that attention should be paid to the vitamin A deficiency in erythrodermic or pustular psoriasis and to the vitamin E deficiency when these inflammatory diseases are associated with chronic alcoholism.
Marrakchi
S
S
Department of Dermatology B, C. Huriez Hospital, Lille, France.
Kim
I
I
Delaporte
E
E
Briand
G
G
Degand
P
P
Maibach
H I
HI
Thomas
P
P
D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000097:blood*
D014801:Vitamin A; D014810:Vitamin E