Protoporphyrin IX fluorescence as potential indicator of psoriasis severity and progression

Publication date: Available online 15 June 2017
Source:Photodiagnosis and Photodynamic Therapy
Author(s): Bo Wang, Yu-Ting Xu, Li Zhang, Jie Zheng, Ronald Sroka, Hong-Wei Wang, Xiu-Li Wang
Background and objectivesIn psoriatic lesions, fluorescence diagnosis with blue light can detect protoporphyrin IX accumulation, especially after topical 5-aminolaevulinic acid (ALA) application. However, variable fluorescence distributions, interpersonal variations and long incubation time limit its wide application in clinic. This study is aimed to identify a consistent and convenient method to facilitate diagnosis and evaluation of psoriatic lesions.Methods104 psoriatic lesions from 30 patients were evaluated. Single lesion PSI scoring and fluorescence by macrospectrofluorometry were recorded on each lesion before and after treatment with narrow-band UVB.ResultsPunctate red fluorescence, emitted mainly by protoporphyrin IX, is observed in some psoriatic lesions. According to psoriasis severity index, fluorescence-positive lesions are more severe than lesions without fluorescence. We found a significant positive correlation between psoriasis severity and fluorescence intensity from protoporphyrin IX.ConclusionsProtoporphyrin IX-induced red fluorescence can be used as a novel and convenient approach for psoriasis diagnosis and progression evaluation.



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