title: Investigation of suitable starting doses of narrowband UVB in Asian vitiligo patients: a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Phototherapy is the preferred treatment modality for active and generalized vitiligo. One of the widely accepted consensus on starting dose of phototherapy is using a uniform dose of 280 mJ/cm2regardless of patients' Fitzpatrick skin phototype (SPT). However, in many clinical experiences with Asian vitiligo patients, the protocol seems suboptimal.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To gather more evidence on establishing a higher starting dosage for Asian vitiligo patients undergoing phototherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled generalized vitiligo patients with lesions sized adequate enough for phototest. Minimal erythema dose (MED) of vitiligo lesion and non-lesion was measured along with melanin index (MI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Relatively, a wide range of MED and MI was observed even among patients with similar SPT. The range of MED for lesional skin was 300-700 mJ/cm2and the MED for non-lesion was 500-800 mJ/cm2. Correlation was noted between lesional MED and non-lesional MI (Spearman correlation, ρ = 0.664 [P < 0.036]) and mean lesional MED was approximately 65% of mean non-lesional MED.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results from phototest and tolerability of patients to doses higher than 280 mJ/cm2may indicate that higher starting doses might be appropriate for Asian vitiligo patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Severance Hospital, Cutaneous Biology Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Severance Hospital, Cutaneous Biology Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Severance Hospital, Cutaneous Biology Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Oh
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010789:Phototherapy; D010865:Pilot Projects; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014820:Vitiligo / Q000628:therapy*