TOPICAL TREATMENT OF ICHTHYOSES AND DARIERS DISEASE WITH 13-CIS-RETINOIC ACID - A CLINICAL AND IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL STUDY

In a bilaterally paired double-blind comparison study, a cream contain ing 0.1% 13-cis-retinoic acid (13-cis-RA) and cream base only were app lied over 4 weeks in seven patients with non-erythrodermic lamellar ic hthyosis (NELI), two patients with Darier's disease and one patient wi th autosomal dominant ichthyosis vulgaris (ADIV). In two patients with NELI and two patients with Darier's disease a half-side effect was ob served in favour of the side treated with 13-cis-RA. In three patients an induction of cytokeratin-4, and in one of these patients expressio n of cytokeratin-13, were observed after therapy. Topical 13-cis-RA ap pears to be a promising approach in the treatment of disorders of kera tinization. The selective modulation of the cytokeratin pattern may pr ovide an immunohistochemical tool to investigate the mode of action of retinoids.