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Tacrolimus ointment improves psoriasis in a microplaque assay.
1Department of Dermatology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Meilahdentie 2, 00250 Helsinki, Finland.
The British Journal of Dermatology
|July 27, 1999
Summary
Tacrolimus ointment effectively treats psoriasis by reducing redness, inflammation, and skin thickness. This study evaluated its efficacy against other treatments in a controlled trial.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Immunology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Tacrolimus (FK506) is a well-established immunosuppressant for preventing organ transplant rejection.
- Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin condition requiring effective topical treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of two tacrolimus ointment formulations for treating chronic plaque-type psoriasis.
- To compare tacrolimus ointment with betamethasone and calcipotriol in a microplaque assay.
Main Methods:
- A randomized, double-blind, microplaque assay involving 16 patients with chronic plaque-type psoriasis.
- Application of six different ointments (tacrolimus variants, betamethasone, calcipotriol, and vehicle controls) to descaled psoriasis lesions.
- Assessment of erythema, infiltration, superficial blood flow, and epidermal thickness over a 14-day period.
Main Results:
- Tacrolimus ointment, with or without a penetration enhancer, significantly reduced erythema, infiltration, superficial blood flow, and epidermal thickness compared to vehicle controls (P < 0.001).
- Betamethasone and calcipotriol showed similar efficacy to tacrolimus when compared to their respective vehicle controls.
- The effects were observed under conditions of descaling and occlusion.
Conclusions:
- Tacrolimus ointment demonstrates significant efficacy in treating chronic plaque-type psoriasis.
- Topical tacrolimus presents a viable therapeutic option for psoriasis management, comparable to established treatments like betamethasone and calcipotriol.