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Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy =... Feb 2023Erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) and X-linked protoporphyria (XLP) are characterized by skin photosensitivity caused by accumulation of protoporphyrin IX. We aimed to... (Review)
Review
Erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) and X-linked protoporphyria (XLP) are characterized by skin photosensitivity caused by accumulation of protoporphyrin IX. We aimed to review the clinical evidence of efficacy and safety of skin photosensitivity treatments in individuals with EPP or XLP. We systematically searched MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov. A total of 40 studies with data on 18 treatment modalities were included. Comprehensive treatment safety data were obtained from the European Medicines Agency and the United States Food and Drug Administration. The studies used different outcome measures to evaluate the sensitivity without a generally accepted method to assess treatment effect on skin photosensitivity. Of the included studies, 13 were controlled trials. Gathered, the trials showed moderate positive effect of inorganic sunscreen application and subcutaneous implant of afamelanotide and no effect of organic sunscreen application, or oral treatment with beta-carotene, cysteine, N-acetylcysteine, vitamin C, or warfarin. Studies without control groups suggested treatment effect of foundation cream, dihydroxyacetone/lawsone cream, narrow-band ultraviolet B phototherapy, erythrocyte transfusion, extracorporeal erythrocyte photodynamic therapy, or oral treatment with zinc sulphate, terfenadine, cimetidine, or canthaxanthin, but the real effect is uncertain. Assessment of treatment effect on photosensitivity in patients with EPP or XLP carries a high risk of bias since experienced photosensitivity varies with both weather conditions, exposure pattern, and pigmentation. Controlled trials of promising treatment options are important although challenging in this small patient population.
Topics: United States; Humans; Protoporphyria, Erythropoietic; Sunscreening Agents; Photosensitivity Disorders; Genetic Diseases, X-Linked; Protoporphyrins
PubMed: 36525819
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.114132 -
Cellular and Molecular Biology... Feb 2009Erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) is a rare inherited disease characterized by dermal photosensitivity due to the accumulation of photosensitizer protoporphyrin IX. We... (Review)
Review
Erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) is a rare inherited disease characterized by dermal photosensitivity due to the accumulation of photosensitizer protoporphyrin IX. We performed a systematic database search on studies related to treatment of EPP. A total of 25 relevant studies were retrieved, 16 of them dealing with the application of beta-carotene. Two studies were found on each of the three substances, n-acetyl-cysteine (NAC), cysteine, and dihydroxyacetone/Lawson (henna). In addition, single studies on vitamin C, canthaxanthin and UVB treatment respectively, were located. The total number of patients in the 25 studies was 454, including 337 patients in the various beta-carotene trials. Most studies were published in the 1970's. Efficacy criteria were not standardized. Only 5 of the 25 studies were randomized and controlled trials; the rest were either open-label, uncontrolled studies or retrospective case reports. Four of the five well-designed studies suggested lack of efficacy of beta-carotene, NAC and vitamin C. The results of the beta-carotene studies were strongly contradictory and efficacy was inversely correlated with study quality. Our data confirm the opinion of experts in the field who are much more skeptical as to its efficacy than were early proponents of treatment with this agent. We conclude, that the available data are insufficient to prove efficacy of any treatments studied so far in EPP. We emphasize the necessity of high quality efficacy studies in porphyrias and in other rare diseases.
Topics: Ascorbic Acid; Clinical Trials as Topic; Cysteine; Humans; Protoporphyria, Erythropoietic; Treatment Outcome; beta Carotene
PubMed: 19268006
DOI: No ID Found