Therapeutic implications of narrow band ultraviolet B on psoriasis severity and serum levels of acute phase reactants

Abstract

Acute phase reactants (APR) are proteins that had been associated with psoriasis severity. We aimed to evaluate the association between psoriasis disease severity and some inflammatory markers as (CRP, ESR, and fibrinogen) before and after narrow band ultraviolet NB (NB-UVB) therapy. The present study included 38 psoriatic patients and 38 controls of matching age and sex. The 38 included patients were divided according to their pretreatment PASI score into 2 subgroups: moderate 13 (34.2%) and severe 25 (65.8%). CRP, ESR, and fibrinogen levels were measured before and after NBUVB sessions for psoriatic patients and their levels were correlated to psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) improvements. PASI scores and laboratory values of APRs showed a significant difference before and after NBUVB sessions. PASI scores significantly correlated with CRP and FBG levels before and after treatment whereas no significant correlation was demonstrated between PASI and ESR levels before and after treatment. A combination of inflammatory markers and clinical assessment could be used in the formation of a new diagnostic tool to evaluate psoriasis severity and response to treatment.