Treatment of psoriatic arthritis with extracorporeal photochemotherapy and conventional psoralen-ultraviolet A irradiation.
OBJECTIVE
To study the use of combined photopheresis and psoralen-ultraviolet A irradiation (PUVA) in the treatment of psoriatic arthritis.


METHODS
Eight patients with psoriasis and sero-negative arthritis received photopheresis for 12 weeks, followed by photopheresis plus PUVA for another 12 weeks. Clinical and laboratory examinations were performed every 3 months for up to 1 year after therapy.


RESULTS
Four patients experienced a marked improvement of joint symptoms that lasted for > or = 12 months post-therapy (74% decrease in the Ritchie articular index; P < 0.01). Prior to therapy, these patients had a higher CD4:CD8 ratio than the poor responders. Only minor laboratory changes occurred.


CONCLUSIONS
A more extensive trial of photopheresis plus PUVA in psoriatic arthritis is warranted.
Vahlquist
C
C
Department of Dermatology, University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden.
Larsson
M
M
Ernerudh
J
J
Berlin
G
G
Skogh
T
T
Vahlquist
A
A
D000328:Adult; D015535:Arthritis, Psoriatic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011701:PUVA Therapy; D017893:Photopheresis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome