Ultraviolet Measurements and Photoclimatotherapy for Psoriasis at the Dead Sea: 25 Years of Experience.

Background: The Dead Sea basin is the lowest terrestrial site on the globe and is internationally recognized as a photoclimatotherapy center. Since the last century, questions were raised regarding a possible presence of unique incident ultraviolet irradiation, allowing the successful treatment of psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and other dermatological diseases.

Aim: This research study aims to determine the characteristics of solar ultraviolet irradiation and to understand the mechanism of action of photoclimatotherapy while applying results to clinical protocols of treatments.

Pruritus in psoriasis and atopic dermatitis: current treatments and new perspectives.

Psoriasis and atopic dermatitis (AD) are two common chronic inflammatory skin diseases. Although showing different etiology and clinical manifestations, patients with either disease suffer from low health-related quality of life due to pruritus (dermal itch). Recent studies have revealed that more than 85% of psoriasis patients suffer from pruritus, and it is also the dominating symptom of AD.

Indoor balneophototherapy for chronic plaque psoriasis: Abridged Cochrane Review.

Artificial exposure to ultraviolet B light (UVB) while soaking in an indoor salt bath, also called balneophototherapy, could simulate the natural exposure to the sun while bathing in the Dead Sea. We aimed to assess the effects of this intervention on patients with chronic plaque psoriasis. We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, and LILACS up to June 2019.

Indoor salt water baths followed by artificial ultraviolet B light for chronic plaque psoriasis.

Background: Chronic plaque psoriasis is an immune-mediated, chronic, inflammatory skin disease, which can impair quality of life and social interaction. Disease severity can be classified by the psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) score ranging from 0 to 72 points. Indoor artificial salt bath with or without artificial ultraviolet B (UVB) light is used to treat psoriasis, simulating sea bathing and sunlight exposure; however, the evidence base needs clear evaluation.

Skin Microbiome Compositional Changes in Atopic Dermatitis Accompany Dead Sea Climatotherapy.

Dead Sea climatotherapy (DSC) is a well-established therapeutic modality for the treatment of several diseases, including atopic dermatitis. Skin microbiome studies have shown that skin microbiome diversity is anticorrelated with both atopic dermatitis severity and concurrent Staphylococcus aureus overgrowth. This study aimed to determine whether DSC induces skin microbiome changes concurrent with clinical improvements in atopic dermatitis.

Multidisciplinary Biopsychosocial Program for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain at the Dead Sea.

Background: Multidisciplinary biopsychosocial rehabilitation for patients presenting with rheumatic diseases has been shown to produce better results in a warm climate. Dead Sea Climatotherapy (DSC) has been successfully used for decades to treat many patients with rheumatic diseases.

Objectives: To evaluate the short-term improvement of Norwegian patients who presented with chronic pain following a multidisciplinary biopsychosocial approach to treatment combined with DSC.

Dead Sea climatotherapy versus topical steroid treatment for atopic dermatitis children: long-term follow-up study.

The aim of this study was to compare long-term results of 4 weeks Dead Sea climatotherapy at the Deutsches Medizinisches Zentrum, Israel to those obtained by classical topical treatment for moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. Seventy-two children from the Czech Republic were divided into three groups of 24 and treated during three periods (March 2014, October 2014 and March 2015) with gradually increasing sun exposure during 28 consecutive days. Forty-four children were treated with steroid creams at the Department of Dermatovenereology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and University Hospital of Kralovske Vinohrady, Prague, Czech Republic.

Temporal Stability of the Healthy Human Skin Microbiome Following Dead Sea Climatotherapy.

Dead Sea climatotherapy (DSC) is a therapeutic modality for a variety of chronic skin conditions, yet there has been scarce research on the relationship between the cutaneous microbiota and disease states in response to DSC. We characterized the skin bacterial and fungal microbiome of healthy volunteers who underwent DSC. Bacterial community diversity remained similar before and after treatment, while fungal diversity was significantly reduced as a result of the treatment.

Dead Sea ultraviolet climatotherapy for children with atopic dermatitis.

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common, chronic, and relapsing inflammatory skin disorder. Moderate to severe cases represent an extremely disabling disease, for both children and their parents. Dead Sea climatotherapy (DSC), recognized as a natural treatment for patients with skin diseases, takes advantage of the selectively scattered ultraviolet irradiation (UV) present at the lowest terrestrial site on the earth.

[THE EFFECT OF 5 DAYS IMMERSION IN DEAD SEA WATER ON BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS IN TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS PATIENTS].

Background: Body immersion in plain water or mineral water induces significant and unique physiological changes in most body systems. In a previous pilot study, a significant reduction in blood glucose levels among diabetes mellitus (DM) patients was found following a single immersion in Dead Sea water but not after immersion in plain water.

Objective: To study the immediate and long term effects of immersion in mineral water for five consecutive days on blood glucose in patients with type 2 DM.

Dead Sea mud packs for chronic low back pain.

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is chronic disease without a curative therapy. Alternative and complementary therapies are widely used in the management of this condition.

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of home application of Dead Sea mud compresses to the back of patients with chronic LBP.

Effect of the Dead Sea climatotherapy for psoriasis on quality of life.

Background: It is well known that quality of life is an integral part in the outcome evaluation process of psoriasis treatment. Very few studies, however, examined the effect of climatotherapy at the Dead Sea on quality of life of such chronically ill patients.

Objectives: To determine the effect of the Dead Sea climatotherapy on the quality of life of patients with psoriasis vulgaris and psoriatic arthritis.

Climatotherapy at the Dead Sea: an effective treatment modality for atopic dermatitis with significant positive impact on quality of life.

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) has an appreciable effect on quality of life. Improving the quality of life of AD patients is a priority.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of Dead Sea climatotherapy (DSC) as a treatment of AD and its influence on the quality of life of these patients.

The solar ultraviolet B radiation protection provided by shading devices with regard to its diffuse component.

Background: The composition of the incident solar global ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation with regard to its beam and diffuse radiation fractions is highly relevant with regard to outdoor sun protection. This is especially true with respect to sun protection during leisure-time outdoor sun exposure at the shore and pools, where people tend to escape the sun under shade trees or different types of shading devices, e.g.

[The influence of single immersion in Dead Sea water on glucose, insulin, cortisol and C-peptide levels in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients].

Background: Bathing in sweet or mineral water can induce significant physiological changes in several body systems including the endocrine system. To date, there have only been a small number of reports that balneology can reduce blood sugar Levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM].

Objective: To compare the effects of a single immersion in sweet or mineral water on blood glucose, insulin, cortisol and c-peptide levels in patients with type 2 DM.

Increased vitamin D serum levels correlate with clinical improvement of rheumatic diseases after Dead Sea climatotherapy.

Background: Ultraviolet B (UVB) rays are required by the skin for the production of vitamin D. The intensity of UVB at the Dead Sea area is the lowest in the world. Low vitamin D levels are often associated with musculoskeletal symptoms.

The measurement and analysis of normal incidence solar UVB radiation and its application to the photoclimatherapy protocol for psoriasis at the Dead Sea, Israel.

The broad-band normal incidence UVB beam radiation has been measured at Neve Zohar, Dead Sea basin, using a prototype tracking instrument composed of a Model 501A UV-Biometer mounted on an Eppley Solar Tracker Model St-1. The diffuse and beam fraction of the solar global UVB radiation have been determined using the concurrently measured solar global UVB radiation. The diffuse fraction was observed to exceed 80% throughout the year.

Intermittent balneotherapy at the Dead Sea area for patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Background: Balneotherapy, traditionally administered during a continuous stay at the Dead Sea area, has been shown to be effective for patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis.

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of an intermittent regimen of balneotherapy at the Dead Sea for patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Methods: Forty-four patients with knee osteoarthritis were included in a prospective randomized single-blind controlled study.

The percentage of patients achieving PASI 75 after 1 month and remission time after climatotherapy at the Dead Sea.

Background: Dead Sea climatotherapy (DSC) is a highly effective treatment for psoriasis; however, there are scanty data concerning the duration of post-therapy remission.

Objective: Assessment of the duration of remission in patients suffering from plaque-type psoriasis after a 4-week DSC.

Methods: Sixty-four patients from Germany (66% men; average age: 41.

Rapid initiation of repigmentation in vitiligo with Dead Sea climatotherapy in combination with pseudocatalase (PC-KUS).

Background: Low catalase levels and cellular vacuolation in the epidermis of patients with vitiligo support major oxidative stress in this compartment. There is now in vivo evidence for increased epidermal hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) accumulation in this patient group by utilizing noninvasive Fourier Transform Raman spectroscopy (FT Raman). Epidermal H(2)O(2) can be removed with a topical application of narrow band UVB activated pseudocatalase cream (PC-KUS).