Comparison of the efficacy of calcipotriol and maxacalcitol in combination with narrow-band ultraviolet B therapy for the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris.

BACKGROUND

Combination treatment with topical vitamin D(3) and narrow-band ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation is effective against psoriasis vulgaris. We compared the efficacy of the topical vitamin D(3) derivatives calcipotriol and maxacalcitol in combination therapy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this retrospective observational study, 21 patients admitted to Nagoya City University Hospital between April 2001 and September 2004 were enrolled.

RESULTS

Combination treatment with calcipotriol or maxacalcitol and narrow-band UVB was effective against psoriasis vulgaris. Calcipotriol induced a more rapid improvement and required lower levels of narrow-band UVB irradiation to be effective. Serum calcium levels were slightly increased after 4 weeks of treatment, but there was no significant difference between the two groups. No other adverse effects were observed in either of the two groups.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this retrospective observational study indicated that combination treatment with topical vitamin D(3) derivatives and narrow-band UVB is effective against psoriasis without any obvious side-effects. These findings provide further evidence that calcipotriol has advantages over maxacalcitol regarding the narrow-band UVB-accumulated treatment dose and improvement rate of psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) scores.