title: Short-term cyclosporin monotherapy for chronic severe plaque-type psoriasis.
abstract: Cyclosporin is an effective treatment for psoriasis but its efficacy is only palliative. The aim of this study was to evaluate the percentage of patients in whom a short term therapy may be used without relapse after discontinuation of cyclosporin. In this multicenter, open, non-controlled study fifty-eight patients were included who had severe and extensive chronic plaque-type psoriasis. Treatment duration was 28 weeks. The absence of relapse was defined as the requirement to resume systemic treatment at 16 weeks after discontinuation of Sandimmun . The overall efficacy of Sandimmun at W20 was 72%. No relapse or premature withdrawal occurred in 18 cases out of 39 (47%). In these cases local treatment was sufficient following discontinuation. Thus we show the potential value of a single 5 month course of cyclosporin treatment. In this study tapering of cyclosporin was not useful. In 50% of cases short-term cyclosporin treatment was not followed by resumption of systemic treatment and constitutes an improvement in qualify of life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, CHU Trousseau, 37044 Tours Cedex, France.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jan
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vaillant
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bressieux
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Barthélemy
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Legoux
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Steiner
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Reigneau
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D016572:Cyclosporine