Daily Low Emission Phototherapy Effects in Psoriasis

A recent study found that low-dose UV for the treatment of psoriasis appears to be about as safe as a course of conventional narrowband UV-B (NB-UVB) when prolonged at 18 months.

The authors noted that while low-dose UV treatment has been effective in mild psoriasis, safety concerns over prolonged use of this treatment modality may have risen. These concerns center around potential carcinogenic risks and over-use of this treatment modality.

Published in Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine, the study was to evaluate the possible carcinogenic risks of prolonged low-dose phototherapy. Researcher evaluated 3 groups of patients with psoriasis. One group consisted of patients with local treatment only, the second was those who underwent low-dose UV treatment at home for at least 18 months, and the final group was patients with conventional NB-UVB. Visual inspection was used for signs of photoaging, and skin biopsies measured p53, CPDs and γH2AX. Additionally, patients who underwent low-dose phototherapy answered a survey about their recent patterns of use.

The study’s results showed that low-dose treatment caused a lower amount of CPDs and p53 compared with NB-UVB during an evaluation via skin biopsies. Meanwhile, γH2AX did not show a significant difference.

The authors added, “Self-report in patients undergoing low-dose phototherapy showed only one case of over-use (2.7%). Visual skin inspection showed no difference in signs of photoaging in the three groups.”

Reference
Franken SM, Spiekstra SW, Waaijman T, Lissenberg-Witte BI, Rustemeyer T. Carcinogenic effects of prolonged daily low emission phototherapy in psoriasis. Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed. Published online December 30, 2021. doi:10.1111/phpp.12767