Effective Treatment of Psoriasis with Narrow-Band UVB Phototherapy Is Linked to Suppression of the IFN and Th17 Pathways.

J Invest Dermatol. 2011 Mar 17.
Rácz E, Prens EP, Kurek D, Kant M, de Ridder D, Mourits S, Baerveldt EM, Ozgur Z, van Ijcken WF, Laman JD, Staal FJ, van der Fits L.
1] Department of Dermatology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands 2 Department of Immunology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Narrow-band ultraviolet-B (NB-UVB) phototherapy is an effective treatment for psoriasis. The molecular mechanisms underlying its efficacy are incompletely understood. To identify NB-UVB-induced molecular pathways that may account for its anti-inflammatory efficacy, gene expression profiling was performed using epidermal RNA from lesional and nonlesional skin from patients with psoriasis undergoing NB-UVB therapy.

Downregulation of Th17 signaling pathway was observed during NB-UVB therapy in psoriatic epidermis. Strong inhibition of the Th17 pathway by UVB was confirmed in an ex vivo organ culture system by demonstrating reduced signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) phosphorylation and ?-defensin-2 production. These results were further substantiated by demonstrating that NB-UVB inhibited the Th17-dependent psoriasis-like dermatitis in mice. Other pathways affected by NB-UVB therapy include the IFN signaling pathway, epidermal differentiation, and other well-known therapeutic targets in psoriasis, such as the glucocorticoid, vitamin D, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor, and IL-4 signaling pathways. In conclusion, clinical improvement of psoriasis by NB-UVB is linked to suppression of Th17 and type I and type II IFN signaling pathways, which are critical in the pathogenesis of the disease.

Our results show that clinically effective NB-UVB therapy is based on suppression of a broad range of important molecular pathways in psoriatic skin.Journal of Investigative Dermatology advance online publication, 17 March 2011; doi:10.1038/jid.2011.53.

PMID: 21412260
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See also Vitamin D Life

• All items tagged Psoriasis and vitamin D
  • It appears that vitamin D treats psoriasis, but not as well as UVB does
• Google site search for TH17 9 hits March 2011

Observation

It took over 100 years to determine the REASON that UVB treats Psoriasis

Glad that the medical profession did not delay 100 years in using UVB

Hope that the medical profession will not delay using vitamin D until they understand the REASON it works.