[A case of psoriasis vulgaris whose lipoprotein lipase activity decreased during treatment with etretinate]

Treatment with etretinate is known to be effective for patients with psoriasis. However, it has been reported that the administration of etretinate often generates side effects which disturb lipoprotein metabolism. In this study, 5 patients with psoriasis vulgaris were treated with etretinate (1 mg/kg/day), and the changes in serum lipids, apolipoprotein levels, and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity were observed. In 4 out of the 5 cases, the above determinations were within the normal range throughout the course. However, in the case of one 35-year old man, LPL activity markedly decreased on day 28 after the administration of etretinate and was restored when the administration was suspended. Furthermore, LPL activity decreased again when the administration was resumed. Therefore, it appeared that the decrease of LPL activity in this case was mainly due to the administration of etretinate.