No abstract

Results from this pilot study suggest that tanning beds may have some potential in reducing pain in persons with FMS.

Alefacept in doses up to 30 mg/week was well tolerated in patients with PPP and appeared to have some efficacy. The use of concomitant therapy, the lack of a comparator, and the small sample size are limitations of the study.

Background The cellular immune system plays an important role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. The digestive system (by virtue of the profile, number and species of bacteria present at any given time and nutritional factors) can influence the status of the immune system. Bacterial pathogens influence specific cytokine activity due to the activity of superantigens. Modulation of bacterial gut flora offers a potential target for psoriasis treatment. Methods Forty-two subjects with mild to moderate plaque-type psoriasis were enrolled in a 12-week, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of a lactobacillus nutritional supplement. The supplement or placebo was taken orally once daily for eight weeks. The primary outcome of this study was the change from baseline to week 12 (or end of treatment) in the composite score of the signs of psoriasis (erythema, scaling, plaque thickness) for target lesions. Other outcomes included Investigator's and Subject's Global Assessment of Response and change in pruritus score. Results Data were evaluable for 40 subjects (18 on the nutritional supplement and 22 on placebo). No significant improvement was found with the lactobacillus nutritional supplement compared to placebo-treated patients. Conclusion Patients commonly seek out alternative treatments for psoriasis. Nutritional supplementation is an intriguing way to manage the disease, offering the potential for a very safe treatment, however we found little to no benefit for lactobacillus nutritional supplement in this group of subjects with mild to moderate psoriasis.

Background Topical tacrolimus is effective as monotherapy for inverse psoriasis. Its use in combination with other systemic agents may be an effective treatment for psoriasis in less sensitive areas. Objective To determine if topical tacrolimus in combination with oral acitretin is more effective than oral acitretin and vehicle ointment. Methods All patients received oral acitretin; subjects were randomized to apply topical tacrolimus to one side of their body and vehicle to the other. Results Topical tacrolimus was more effective than vehicle ointment as early as week 4. There were no serious adverse events thought to be due to drug or dose changes during the study. Limitations Due to the short time horizon of the study, it may not be appropriate to generalize the results to longer treatment periods. Conclusions Topical tacrolimus is an effective psoriasis treatment and was well-tolerated when combined with systemic acitretin in the treatment of psoriasis.