Serum alpha 2-macroglobulin levels in psoriatic patients treated with UVB and PUVA.
BACKGROUND
Abnormalities in proteinase metabolisms have been found in psoriasis and higher concentrations of neutral proteinases in psoriatic skin lesions than in unaffected skin of psoriatic patients have been observed.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to determine whether repeated whole body UV-(UVB and PUVA) irradiation is associated with changes in proteinase inhibitor alpha 2-macroglobulin (alpha 2-M) in patients with active plaque psoriasis.


METHODS
In this study, the sera alpha 2-M levels were evaluated in cases of active plaque psoriasis before UV-, four weeks UVB (15 patients) and PUVA (11 patients) irradiation, and two weeks after completed treatment.


RESULTS
Both UVB and PUVA treatment had no significant influence on alpha 2-M levels in psoriatic sera, it was, however, sufficient to treat most of the skin lesions.


CONCLUSIONS
The beneficial effect of phototherapy in psoriasis seems not to be mediated through increased binding of proteinases by proteinases inhibitor alpha 2-M from serum.
Gasior-Chrzan
B
B
Department of Dermatology, University of Tromsø, Norway.
Dotterud
L K
LK
Falk
E S
ES
D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011701:PUVA Therapy; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000511:alpha-Macroglobulins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
D000511:alpha-Macroglobulins