The Treatment of Atopic Dermatitis with PUVA Photochemotherapy : Clinical and Experimental Studies in Patients and Model Mice

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Recently, the number of adult patients with severe atopic dermatitis is increasing in our clinic. For more than 10 years, we have treated these patients with oral 8-methoxypsoralen and whole body exposures to UVA (systemic PUVA therapy). In the present study, we surveyed the treated patients in order to establish the systemic PUVA therapy in Japanese adult patients with severe atopic patients. Patients were hospitalized, and given orally 30mg of 8-MOP and subsequently irradiated with 2〜6J/cm^2-UVA three times a week. Most of patients received 10 to 30 time-PUVA therapy and approximately 100 J/cm^2 of UVA in total. Severity scores of atopic dermatitis linearly decreased until 12 treatments, and reached plateau thereafter. No adverse effects occurred. In next experiments, we examined the therapeutic effects of PUVA treatment on the spontaneously developed dermatitis in NC/Nga model mice of atopic dermatitis. Photochemotherapy was done 3 times a week for 4 weeks. Skin changes began to improve by 3 treatments, and did not recur even 4 weeks after discontinuation of PUVA therapy. Collectively, systemic PUVA therapy seems to be a useful modality for the treatment of severe atopic dermatitis.