title: A randomized comparison of acitretin-narrow-band TL-01 phototherapy and acitretin-psoralen plus ultraviolet A for psoriasis.
abstract: The combination of retinoids with phototherapy enhances the efficacy of phototherapy and reduces the cumulative ultraviolet dose and duration of the therapy needed to treat chronic plaque psoriasis. Although TL-01 phototherapy has been used widely, there are few data about the effectiveness of the combination of acitretin with TL-01 in treatment of the disease. The aim of this study was to compare acitretin-narrow-band TL-01 phototherapy with acitretin-psoralen plus ultraviolet A (acitretin-PUVA) in psoriasis. We studied 60 patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who were randomly allocated to three times weekly treatment acitretin-narrow-band TL-01 or acitretin-PUVA. The efficacy of treatments was assessed using the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index by a blinded observer. Clearance of psoriasis was achieved in 56.6% of patients treated with acitretin-narrow-band TL-01 and in 63.3% of those treated with acitretin-PUVA. All of these patients remained clear of psoriasis 3 months after finishing the treatments. Mucocutaneous side-effects, such as dry lips and mouth, were the most common complaints in both groups. In conclusion, acitretin-narrow-band TL-01 is an effective and well-tolerated treatment for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, with a therapeutic effect equal to that of acitretin-PUVA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Meram Medical Faculty, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey. mustafaozdemir@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ozdemir
authors.forename: Burhan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Engin
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Baysal
authors.forename: Inci
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mevlitoğlu
mesh_terms: D017255:Acitretin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007641:Keratolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D011701:PUVA Therapy; D010789:Phototherapy / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000628:therapy*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D007641:Keratolytic Agents; D017255:Acitretin