M. Yoshimura et al., ANTIMICROBIAL EFFECTS OF PHOTOTHERAPY AND PHOTOCHEMOTHERAPY IN-VIVO AND IN-VITRO, British journal of dermatology, 135(4), 1996, pp. 528-532
We investigated the antimicrobial effects of phototherapy and photoche
motherapy in vivo and in vitro. First, Staphylococcus aureus samples w
ere obtained using stamp agar medium from inflammatory lesions of 29 a
dult patients with atopic dermatitis before and after a single photoch
emotherapy. Therapy was oral PUVA (30 mg 8-methoxypsoralen, 8MOP plus
5 J/cm(2) UVA), topical PUVA (0.3% 8MOP plus 200 mJ/cm(2) UVA) or UVB
(80 mJ/cm(2)) irradiation. The number of S. aureus on the lesions was
significantly reduced, even after a single treatment with all therapie
s. Reductions (mean+/-SD) were 69.3+/-26.9%, 76.3+/-31.3% and 83.8+/-1
8.5%, respectively. Secondly, we investigated the effect of PUVA (0.00
1% 8MOP plus 10, 20, 30, 40, or 50 mJ/cm(2) UVA) and UVB (10, 30, 50,
or 100 mJ/cm(2)) irradiation on the proliferation of S. aureus in vitr
o. PUVA and UVB treatment markedly inhibited the proliferation in a do
se-dependent manner. These results seem to indicate the possibility th
at the antimicrobial effect of UV radiation contributes to successful
photochemotherapy in patients with atopic dermatitis.