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(8) Comparison of psoriasis treated with cyclosporin alone or cyclosporin and clobetasol propionate
Author(s) -
Griffiths C.E.M.,
Powles A.V.,
Baker B.S.,
Fry L.,
Voorhees J.
Publication year - 1987
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.1365-2133.1987.tb12026.x
Subject(s) - clobetasol propionate , psoriasis , dermatology , medicine , library science , computer science
Cyclosporin A (CyA) in the low dosage of 3 mg/kg/day has been shown to clear psoriasis; however, the disease relapses soon after withdrawal of the drug. Immunological studies have demonstrated persistence of activated T helper (TH) cells within the epidermis after clearance of psoriatic plaques with cyclosporin but disappearance if clearance is achieved by the use of topical clobetasol propionate (CP). If the relapse is a result of resumption of function by epidermal‐activated TH cells then combination therapy with CP and CyA should delay the rate of relapse. Six patients with chronic plaque psoriasis were treated with CyA at a dose of 3 mg/kg/day for a period of 6 weeks; during the first 2 weeks CP was applied twice daily to the psoriatic plaques. A second group of six psoriatic patients was treated with cyclosporin alone. The psoriasis was scored at weekly intervals during treatment using the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), and for 4 weeks after cessation of treatment. Using CyA alone, the mean time taken to achieve 80% reduction in PASI score was 7·3 ± 2·4 weeks compared to 4·2 ± 2·1 weeks with CyA and CP ( P < 0·05). Four weeks after withdrawal of treatment the average percentage deterioration in PASI score was 29·2 in the CyA group and 17·8 in the CyA + CP group. This difference was not significant. Thus, the addition of CP to CyA in the management of psoriasis cleared psoriasis faster than CyA alone but did not slow the relapse rate. It would seem that the initiating factor responsible for attracting TH cells into the epidermis is not cleared by either treatment.