Treatment of Vitiligo with a Topical Application of Pseudocatalase and Calcium in Combination with Short-Term UVB Exposure: A Case Study on 33 Patients

Abstract

Thirty-three patients with the depigmentation disorder vitiligo were successfully treated with a new topical application of pseudocatalase, calcium and short-term UVB light exposure. First repigmentation occurred in the majority of cases after 2–4 months. Complete repigmentation on the face and dorsum of the hands appeared in 90% of the group. In all patients, active depigmentation was arrested. None of them developed new lesions during treatment. No recurrence of the disease was observed during a 2-year follow-up. The rationale for this pilot study originated from a recent understanding of vitiligo at the molecular level. The involved epidermis produces hydrogen peroxide due to defective tetrahydrobiopterin recycling and increased monoamine oxidase A activity, whereupon catalase is inactivated. In addition, calcium homeostasis is perturbed in the affected skin. The substitution for insufficient catalase by a pseudocatalase together with calcium and UVB exposure lead to effective repigmentation.

A Practical Approach to the Diagnosis and Treatment of Vitiligo in Children

“…Variable results have been seen, with some centers reporting good outcomes with proprietary products. The initial clinical report 54 described 33 patients ages 4 to 68 years. Pseudocatalase and calcium topically, combined with narrowband UVB or climatotherapy at the Dead Sea, has been described to be effective at repigmentation of facial and dorsal hand vitiligo.…”

A Critical Appraisal of Vitiligo Etiologic Theories. Is Melanocyte Loss a Melanocytorrhagy?

“…Accumulation of H 2 O 2 in NSV skin in vivo has been shown (56). Repigmentation of NSV with topical pseudocatalase is still a debated issue (57). Whether the antioxidant defect is a general cellular feature in NSV or restricted to the epidermis has been investigated with variable results according to the type of blood cells studied (58,59).…”

Vitiligo Management- An Update

“…Treatment options that have been used with NB-UVB in vitiligo till date include topical tacrolimus, 14,15 pimecrolimus, 16 Vitamin D analogues 17,18 and even topical pseudocatalase 19 . While some studies have shown a synergistic effect with these combinations, others have found the efficacy of the combinations to be similar to NB-UVB alone.…”