Pilot evaluation of supra-erythemogenic phototherapy with excimer laser in the treatment of patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.

Background: Phototherapy is an effective treatment for generalized plaque psoriasis, but is inconvenient and dosimetry is limited by the minimal erythema dose (MED).

Objective: This pilot study evaluated the efficacy, safety, and feasibility of excimer laser utilizing a supra-erythemogenic phototherapy strategy (phototherapy well beyond the MED dose) to treat generalized psoriasis.

Methods: In this 9-month study, 13 patients with psoriasis involving > 10% but < 30% body surface area received laser treatment twice weekly for 12 weeks, with 6 months of post-treatment follow-up.

An updated review of acitretin--a systemic retinoid for the treatment of psoriasis.

Background: Acitretin is a systemic retinoid used for psoriasis. It normalizes cellular differentiation and maturation and is also used as a chemopreventive agent against cutaneous malignancies. However, it is not used frequently because of its side-effect profile.

Pharmacokinetics of tacrolimus following topical application of tacrolimus ointment in adult and pediatric patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis.

Objective: To characterize the pharmacokinetics of tacrolimus after topical application in adult and pediatric patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis from all clinical trials in which tacrolimus blood levels were obtained.

Methods: Tacrolimus ointment 0.03% or 0.

Keratosis pilaris rubra: a common but underrecognized condition.

Background: Keratosis pilaris is a common skin disorder of childhood that often improves with age. Less common variants of keratosis pilaris include keratosis pilaris atrophicans and atrophodermia vermiculata.

Observations: In this case series from dermatology practices in the United States, Canada, Israel, and Australia, the clinical characteristics of 27 patients with keratosis pilaris rubra are described.

Effects of four Chinese herbal extracts on drug-sensitive and multidrug-resistant small-cell lung carcinoma cells.

Purpose: We examined the pharmacology, cell biology and molecular biology of small-cell lung carcinoma cells treated with four extracts of Chinese herbal medicines. Many cancer patients take these medicines, but their effects at the cellular level are largely unknown. We were especially interested in the effects on drug-resistant cells, as resistance is a significant clinical problem in lung cancer.