Short- and Long-Term Considerations concerning the Management of Plaque Psoriasis with Low-Dose Cyclosporin

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Abstract
In an open multicenter study, cyclosporin (CsA) at low doses (3 mg/kg/day adjusted during the course of treatment on the basis of clinical response and tolerability up to a maximum of 5 mg/kg/day) was given to 293 evaluable patients with severe plaque-form psoriasis (M/F 215/78, aged 19–80 years, 2–53 years from diagnosis) in order to evaluate its safety and efficacy over a median follow-up of 7 months of treatment and 3 months after treatment. All patients were unsatisfactory responders to conventional topical therapy and had indications for systemic treatment. Patients entered the study only if they were within the normal range for renal an hepatic function and blood pressure, and were free of any clinically obvious immunodeficiencies, malignancies or blood dyscrasia. All gave their informed consent. After remission (defined as reduction ≥ 75% of the body area involved and an improvement of at least 2 points on a 4-point scale for desquamation, erythema and infiltration) CsA was slowly tapered off (0.5 mg/kg/day every 2 weeks) until total discontinuation or the reappearance of signs of the disease; the dose of CsA was also varied in the case of any important modification in renal and hepatic function of blood pressure. As concomitant treatment, white petrolatum was allowed, as well as specific local therapy after CsA discontinuation. Considerable improvement ( > 50% reduction in the skin area affected) was observed in 98% and only 2% (5 patients) did not respond. Clinical remission was achieved in 225 patients (77%): of these, 73% after a median of 2 months at CsA doses of 2.5–3.49 mg/kg/day, 8% after 4 months at doses

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