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Photosensitivity due to retinoids: clinical and laboratory studies
Author(s) -
FERGUSON J.,
JOHNSON B.E.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
british journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.304
H-Index - 179
eISSN - 1365-2133
pISSN - 0007-0963
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2133.1986.tb05742.x
Subject(s) - etretinate , photosensitivity , phototoxicity , isotretinoin , dermatology , medicine , erythema , tretinoin , lamellar ichthyosis , psoriasis , ichthyosis , retinoic acid , chemistry , acne , biochemistry , in vitro , quantum mechanics , physics , gene
SUMMARY Six subjects taking isotretinoin were studied, none of whom had clinical or phototest evidence of photosensitivity.Of nine subjects taking etretinate, one had convincing clinical photosensitivity consisting of a burning erythema on sunlight exposure. His phototesting results showed a marked abnormality from 300 ± 5 nm to 365 ± 30 nm which returned close to normal limits within one month of stopping therapy. Although clinically normal, another subject taking etretinate had similar phototest evidence of abnormal photosensitivity. In vitro photohaemoly‐ sis studies demonstrated that tretinoin (all‐ trans ‐retinoic acid) and isotretinoin have a phototoxic potential, while etretinate has none. However, the major metabolite of etretinate (Ro 10‐1670) had a phototoxic potential greater than that of tretinoin. The apparently low incidence of photosensitivity suggests that an idiosyncracy is responsible, perhaps due to a disorder of pharmacokinetics or metabolism. Clinical cases should use appropriate photoprotection against UVB and UVA wavebands.