UVB Narrowband 311nm Lamps for Home Phototherapy Treatment

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British Medical Journal –Home versus outpatient ultraviolet B phototherapy for mild to severe psoriasis
LINK: http://www.bmj.com/content/338/bmj.b1542.abstract

British Journal of Dermatology– 311 nm UVB phototherapy–an effective treatment for psoriasis
LINK: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2133.1988.tb03489.x/abstract

SUMMARY Fifty two psoriatic patients were treated with a new experimental fluorescent lamp (Philips TL-01) emitting a narrow band at 311 ± 2 nm (UVB) which had the advantage of a reduction in burning and carcinogenic wavelengths when compared with conventional broad band UVB therapy. Results of the '311' treated group when compared with broad band UVB therapy revealed a similar percentage of patients achieving a satisfactory response with fewer burning episodes and an increase in duration of remission.

International Journal of Dermatology – UVB phototherapy and skin cancer risk: a review of the literature
LINK: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-4632.2004.02186.x/abstract

ABSTRACT

Background UVB phototherapy is a common treatment modality for psoriasis and other skin diseases. Although UVB has been in use for many decades, many clinicians are hesitant to use this type of phototherapy because of concern over increasing the skin cancer risk. Over the past 20 years, numerous studies have been published examining this issue, but a consensus or analysis of the skin cancer risk is required for the dermatologist to make an educated risk–benefit analysis.
Objective To assess the risk of skin cancer associated with UVB phototherapy.
Methods All prospective or retrospective studies were identified in MEDLINE from 1966 to June 2002. Bibliographies were searched to identify any additional studies examining this issue. All studies that attempted to quantify or qualify any additional skin cancer risk from UVB phototherapy were included. Study selection was performed by two independent reviewers.
Results Eleven studies (10 of which concerned psoriasis patients), involving approximately 3400 participants, were included. Of note, three of the studies involved the same cohort: members of the 16-center US Psoralen plus UVA (PUVA) Follow-up Study. Other than the most recent Finnish study, all studies eventually showed no increased skin cancer risk with UVB phototherapy. One of the PUVA cohort studies examined genital skin cancers, and found an increased rate of genital tumors associated with UVB phototherapy, although this study has not been duplicated.

Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology – A randomized clinical trial in psoriasis: synchronous balneophototherapy with bathing in Dead Sea salt solution plus narrowband UVB vs. narrowband UVB alone (TOMESA-study group)
LINK: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-3083.2010.03840.x/abstract

• balneophototherapy;
• psoriasis;
• Psoriasis Area and Severity Index

ABSTRACT

Background Synchronous balneophototherapy (sBPT) simulates treatment conditions at the Dead Sea for outpatient use. In the past, sBPT proved to be an effective treatment for psoriasis. However, there is a lack of sufficiently large randomized controlled clinical trials evaluating the additional benefit of sBPT compared with ultraviolet B (UVB) monotherapy.
Objectives The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness and safety of sBPT with UVB phototherapy (PT) alone in a randomized controlled effectiveness study.
Methods In this phase III, multicentre effectiveness study, 367 patients with moderate to severe psoriasis were randomly allocated in a 1 : 1 ratio to receive either sBPT consisting of narrowband UVB PT with 311 nm and synchronous bathing in 10% Dead Sea salt solution or PT with 311 nm alone. Primary endpoint, analysed on an intention-to-treat basis ( n = 356), was the relative improvement of the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) from baseline to end of treatment (35 sessions or clearance). Sample size calculation aimed at the detection of superiority of at least 10%.
Results Median PASI values were comparable at baseline (sBPT: 15.1, interquartile range: 10.9–24.3; PT: 15.3, interquartile range: 10.0–23.7). A clinically relevant and statistically significant difference of 49.5% between sBPT and PT could be proven at the end of the therapy phase ( P < 0.001; Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney test). Exploratory testing showed a statistically significant superiority of sBPT after 6 months.

CONCLUSION In routine clinical practice, sBPT is superior to PT alone after 35 treatment sessions and a follow-up of 6 months. Both treatments demonstrated to be safe.

Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology–
The Molecular Targets and Therapeutic Uses of Curcumin in Health and Disease
LINK: http://www.springerlink.com/content/978-0-387-46400-8/#section=273069&page=3&locus=56

CONCLUSION Psoriasis is a noncontagious hyperproliferative skin disease caused by faulty signals in the immune system and is generally considered an autoimmune disease mediated by T-cells. It results in thick, silvery flakes of scale on raised pinkish red skin with well-defined margins. Hence, agents can be screened on the basis of antiproliferative and /or anti-inflammatory properties. Curcumin has the ability tobe developed as an antipsoriatic drug because of its ability to curtail keratinocyte proliferation and was found tobe effective in the mouse tail animal model of psoriasis. Curcumin decreases the expression of proinflammatory cytokines like interleukin 6 and IL-8 in human keratinocytes. Hence, their inhibation by Curcumin might reduce psoriasis-linked inflammation as well as psoriasis-related keratinocyte hyperproliferation.

Annales de dermatologieet de venereology –
Narrowband UVB phototherapy (Philips TL01 lamps) in psoriasis
LINK: http://www.mendeley.com/research/narrowband-uvb-phototherapy-philips-tl01-lamps-psoriasis/

ABSTRACT

The authors report the results of an open study conducted on 53 patients with psoriasis treated by narrow-band UVB phototherapy, using Philips' TL01 lamp. With a simple procedure which did not require MED determination this treatment gave satisfactory results in 92 p. 100 of the cases, with mild burns in only 9 p. 100. The morphological type of psoriasis (patchy, guttate or nummular) had no influence on the therapeutic result, but the degree of infiltration of the lesions and their location on the lower limbs proved to be a factor of relative resistance. In most patients the results were obtained in 20 sessions with a mean cumulative dose of 20.19 2.7 J/cm2. Some patients had an additional treatment of 6 sessions. The results obtained with Philips' TL01 lamp were as satisfactory as those obtained with the conventional broadband UVB lamps, but the TL01 lamp seemed to be easier to handle and better tolerated, which gives them some advantages over UVB broadband.