Biomaterial Database

Clinical and ultrastructural effects of acitretin in Darier's disease. 1988

J Lauharanta, and L Kanerva, and K Turjanmaa, and J M Geiger

Department of Dermatology, University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.

Thirteen patients with Darier's disease with a mean extent of the lesions of 29.4 +/- 10% of the total skin area were treated with acitretin (the main metabolite of etretinate) for 16 weeks. The dose was 30 mg/day during the initial 8 weeks and was later adjusted individually to 10-30 mg/day in order to achieve optimal results. Three patients cleared completely, 7 patients showed marked improvement and 3 patients became slightly better during treatment. The mean extent of the lesions after the treatment was 7.3 +/- 8% of the skin area. Despite good clinical clearing, the improvement at the ultrastructural level was incomplete in the 3 patients studied by electron microscopy. Normal stratification did not develop and the size and number of desmosomes remained reduced. The main side effects during treatment were pruritus in 5 patients, diffuse alopecia in 2 patients and marked elevation in serum triglycerides in 4 patients. On the basis of this study, acitretin would seem to be a useful alternative to etretinate for the treatment of Darier's disease.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007633	Keratins	A class of fibrous proteins or scleroproteins that represents the principal constituent of EPIDERMIS; HAIR; NAILS; horny tissues, and the organic matrix of tooth ENAMEL. Two major conformational groups have been characterized, alpha-keratin, whose peptide backbone forms a coiled-coil alpha helical structure consisting of TYPE I KERATIN and a TYPE II KERATIN, and beta-keratin, whose backbone forms a zigzag or pleated sheet structure. alpha-Keratins have been classified into at least 20 subtypes. In addition multiple isoforms of subtypes have been found which may be due to GENE DUPLICATION.	Cytokeratin,Keratin Associated Protein,Keratin,Keratin-Associated Proteins,alpha-Keratin,Associated Protein, Keratin,Keratin Associated Proteins,Protein, Keratin Associated,alpha Keratin
D007644	Darier Disease	An autosomal dominantly inherited skin disorder characterized by warty malodorous papules that coalesce into plaques. It is caused by mutations in the ATP2A2 gene encoding SERCA2 protein, one of the SARCOPLASMIC RETICULUM CALCIUM-TRANSPORTING ATPASES. The condition is similar, clinically and histologically, to BENIGN FAMILIAL PEMPHIGUS, another autosomal dominant skin disorder. Both diseases have defective calcium pumps (CALCIUM-TRANSPORTING ATPASES) and unstable desmosomal adhesion junctions (DESMOSOMES) between KERATINOCYTES.	Acrokeratosis Verruciformis of Hopf,Darier-White Disease,Keratosis Follicularis,Acantholytic Dyskeratotic Epidermal Nevi,Acantholytic Dyskeratotic Epidermal Nevus,Acrokeratosis Verruciformis,Darier's Disease,Hopf Disease,Darier White Disease,Darier-White Diseases,Dariers Disease,Disease, Darier,Disease, Darier's,Disease, Darier-White,Disease, Hopf,Diseases, Darier-White,Diseases, Hopf,Hopf Acrokeratosis Verruciformis,Hopf Diseases,Verruciformis, Acrokeratosis
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D002986	Clinical Trials as Topic	Works about pre-planned studies of the safety, efficacy, or optimum dosage schedule (if appropriate) of one or more diagnostic, therapeutic, or prophylactic drugs, devices, or techniques selected according to predetermined criteria of eligibility and observed for predefined evidence of favorable and unfavorable effects. This concept includes clinical trials conducted both in the U.S. and in other countries.	Clinical Trial as Topic
D004817	Epidermis	The external, nonvascular layer of the skin. It is made up, from within outward, of five layers of EPITHELIUM: (1) basal layer (stratum basale epidermidis); (2) spinous layer (stratum spinosum epidermidis); (3) granular layer (stratum granulosum epidermidis); (4) clear layer (stratum lucidum epidermidis); and (5) horny layer (stratum corneum epidermidis).
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults
D000368	Aged	A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available.	Elderly