THE EFFECTS OF GAMOLENIC ACID ON ADULT ATOPIC ECZEMA AND PREMENSTRUALEXACERBATION OF ECZEMA

A double blind, parallel, placebo controlled study was performed to as sess the effects of four months treatment with gamolenic acid In eveni ng primrose oil on adult atopic eczema. Fifty-eight subjects entered t he study and results were analysed for fifty-two of these. Subjects we re divided into three groups, women with, and women without, a reporte d premenstrual exacerbation of their eczema and men. Mean results for the three groups combined showed a significant effect of evening primr ose oil on erythema and surface damage when compared with placebo. No significant effect on the mean clinical score for lichenification was found. When maximum severity was examined there was a significant effe ct of evening primrose oil on erythema after four months treatment and on lichenification 2 months post-treatment but no effect on surface d amage. Serum soluble interleukin 2 receptor levels fell to a greater e xtent with evening primrose oil than with placebo but this was not sta tistically significant. Women who reported a premenstrual flare of the ir eczema showed a greater improvement with GLA compared with placebo than the other 2 groups. Adjunctive treatment with gamolenic acid in e vening primrose oil should be considered in patients with chronic atop ic eczema.