ULTRAVIOLET-A IRRADIATION THERAPY FOR PATIENTS WITH SYSTEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS - A PILOT-STUDY

In an open clinical trial, we irradiated 15 patients with systemic lup us erythematosus with daily low-dose dermal ultraviolet-A (UV-A) irrad iation, primarily in the UV-A1 (340 to 400 nm) range, averaging 65 kJ/ m(2)/day, 5 days a week, for 3 consecutive weeks. Clinical disease act ivity scores decreased from 15.4 +/- 1.5 (mean +/- SEM) to 10.2 +/- 1. 5 (P < 0.0005). Fatigue, joint pain, fever, malaise, and morning stiff ness decreased significantly (P < 0.05) as did physician and patient a ssessments of disease activity (P < 0.01), whereas serositis, headache s, and rashes decreased nonsignificantly. Percentages of CD4, 4B4, and 2H4 cells decreased (P < 0.01) and B-cell percentages fell by 19% but did not reach significance (P = 0.07). White blood cell and platelet counts increased (P < 0.05). The efficacy and apparent safety of this therapeutic modality are encouraging and implications as to its mechan ism of action provocative.