Biomaterial Database

Acitretin versus etretinate in severe psoriasis. A double-blind randomized Nordic multicenter study in 168 patients. 1989

J R Bjerke, and J M Geiger

Department of Dermatology, University of Bergen, Norway.

The efficacy and tolerability of acitretin (etretin) in severe psoriasis was compared with that of etretinate in a double-blind randomized study for 12 weeks. A total of 127 patients received acitretin and 41 received etretinate. The initial daily dose was 40 mg/day over 4 weeks and was subsequently adjusted according to individual response. From week 5-12 the mean daily dose was 42.9 mg of acitretin (0.58 mg/kg) versus 49.2 mg of etretinate (0.65 mg/kg). Acitretin gave a PASI score reduction from baseline of 70.5% and etretinate a reduction of 68.4% (mean values). Acitretin tended to give more discomfort than etretinate, particularly with regard to hair loss and peeling of palms and soles. The differences found between acitretin and etretinate may be related to higher maximum plasma concentrations of acitretin. The considerably shorter half-life of acitretin, gives it a great advantage over etretinate with regard to risk of teratogenicity after cessation of treatment.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D011565	Psoriasis	A common genetically determined, chronic, inflammatory skin disease characterized by rounded erythematous, dry, scaling patches. The lesions have a predilection for nails, scalp, genitalia, extensor surfaces, and the lumbosacral region. Accelerated epidermopoiesis is considered to be the fundamental pathologic feature in psoriasis.	Palmoplantaris Pustulosis,Pustular Psoriasis of Palms and Soles,Pustulosis Palmaris et Plantaris,Pustulosis of Palms and Soles,Psoriases
D011897	Random Allocation	A process involving chance used in therapeutic trials or other research endeavor for allocating experimental subjects, human or animal, between treatment and control groups, or among treatment groups. It may also apply to experiments on inanimate objects.	Randomization,Allocation, Random
D004311	Double-Blind Method	A method of studying a drug or procedure in which both the subjects and investigators are kept unaware of who is actually getting which specific treatment.	Double-Masked Study,Double-Blind Study,Double-Masked Method,Double Blind Method,Double Blind Study,Double Masked Method,Double Masked Study,Double-Blind Methods,Double-Blind Studies,Double-Masked Methods,Double-Masked Studies,Method, Double-Blind,Method, Double-Masked,Methods, Double-Blind,Methods, Double-Masked,Studies, Double-Blind,Studies, Double-Masked,Study, Double-Blind,Study, Double-Masked
D005050	Etretinate	An oral retinoid used in the treatment of keratotic genodermatosis, lichen planus, and psoriasis. Beneficial effects have also been claimed in the prophylaxis of epithelial neoplasia. The compound may be teratogenic.	B10-9359,Ethyl Etrinoate,Ro 10-9359,Ro-10-9359,Tigason,Tigazon,B10 9359,B109359,Etrinoate, Ethyl,Ro 10 9359,Ro 109359,Ro109359
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D014212	Tretinoin	An important regulator of GENE EXPRESSION during growth and development, and in NEOPLASMS. Tretinoin, also known as retinoic acid and derived from maternal VITAMIN A, is essential for normal GROWTH; and EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT. An excess of tretinoin can be teratogenic. It is used in the treatment of PSORIASIS; ACNE VULGARIS; and several other SKIN DISEASES. It has also been approved for use in promyelocytic leukemia (LEUKEMIA, PROMYELOCYTIC, ACUTE).	Retinoic Acid,Vitamin A Acid,Retin-A,Tretinoin Potassium Salt,Tretinoin Sodium Salt,Tretinoin Zinc Salt,Vesanoid,all-trans-Retinoic Acid,beta-all-trans-Retinoic Acid,trans-Retinoic Acid,Acid, Retinoic,Acid, Vitamin A,Acid, all-trans-Retinoic,Acid, beta-all-trans-Retinoic,Acid, trans-Retinoic,Potassium Salt, Tretinoin,Retin A,Salt, Tretinoin Potassium,Salt, Tretinoin Sodium,Salt, Tretinoin Zinc,Sodium Salt, Tretinoin,Zinc Salt, Tretinoin,all trans Retinoic Acid,beta all trans Retinoic Acid,trans Retinoic Acid
D015337	Multicenter Studies as Topic	Works about controlled studies which are planned and carried out by several cooperating institutions to assess certain variables and outcomes in specific patient populations, for example, a multicenter study of congenital anomalies in children.	Multicenter Trials,Multicentre Studies as Topic,Multicentre Trials,Multicenter Trial,Multicentre Trial,Trial, Multicenter,Trial, Multicentre,Trials, Multicenter,Trials, Multicentre
D017255	Acitretin	An oral retinoid effective in the treatment of psoriasis. It is the major metabolite of ETRETINATE with the advantage of a much shorter half-life when compared with etretinate.	13-cis-Acitretin,Etretin,Isoetretin,Acitretin, (Z,E,E,E)-Isomer,Isoacitretin,Neotigason,Ro 10-1670,Ro 13-7652,Ro-10-1670,Ro-13-7652,Soriatane,Ro 101670,Ro 137652,Ro101670,Ro137652