Management of psoriasis with Aloe vera extract in hydrophilic cream: a placebo-controlled, double-blind study

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Management of psoriasis with Aloe vera extract in
hydrophilic cream a placebo-controlled,
double-blind study

• Syed, Tanweer A. et al. 1996. Tropical
  Medicine and Internal Health 1505-509
• Presented by Wislaine Coby

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PURPOSE

• To test an aloe vera extract 0.5 in a
  hydrophilic cream on patients with a skin disease
  called psoriasis compared to other medications.

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RECAP

• What is psoriasis?
• A common skin disease that affects millions
• of children and adults, more common in
• Caucasians. Its characterized by thick, dry
• scales and inflammation of the skin .
• 
  

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Aloe vera

• It is a cactus-like succulent perennial with
  long, grayish-green, prickly edge leaves.
• Aloe has anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and
  anti-fungal properties.
• It heals and help ease the discomfort of minor
  skin irritations and burns.

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Active Agent

• Salicylates a pain reliever and
  anti-inflammatory
• Magnesium lactate inhibits the irration

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METHODS AND MATERIALS

• 36 males and 24 females ranging from the age of
  18-50 having mild to moderate psoriasis for at
  least 8 years. (30 patients will be treated with
  the aloe vera and the other 30 will be treated
  with a placebo)
• Aloe vera extract (0.5) in a hydrophilic cream
  with a combination of mineral oil and castor oil.
• A double-blind, placebo control study
  With this study patients do
  not know if they have been given the active drug
  or the placebo. Also physicians observing also
  do not know.

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• Active treatment done only for 4 weeks.
• Patients had to apply the cream 3 times daily for
  five consecutive days, Monday through Friday
  excluding Saturday and Sunday.
• Each patient received a 100 g tube of the
  treatment which had to remain at a constant
  temperature.

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Follow-ups

• After the four week treatment, patients were
  examined once a week for 16 weeks.
• Then they were followed up on a monthly
  basis
  for 8 months.

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RATIONALE

• Lots of follow ups had to be done to observe any
  improvements or the severity of the medications

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RESULTS

• All 60 patients stayed in the study, none
  withdrew.
• A reduction of desquamation, peeling of the top
  layer skin.
• Over all, 27/60 patients were showed improvement.

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• 356/762 plaques on the body were cured.
• There was a low PASI score (psoriasis area and
  severity index), showing a mean of 9.3 to 2.2.
• No hypersensitivity or drug related adverse
  symptoms.

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Patients Characteristics
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Effectiveness of the aloe extract

• The extract was absorbed into the dermal and
  tissues area of the skin.
• Kept the skin moist and inhibited the plaques by
  suppressing proliferation and stimulatory
  differentiation of the cells.

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Comparing the aloe form the previous experiment
with calcipotriol

• Calcipotriol is a synthetic vitamin D analogue
  (most commonly used).
• It induces terminal epidermal differentiation and
  inhibits epidermal proliferation.

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Experiment done

• There was a total of 50 patients used for the
  study.
• 30 patients in the 4 week trial and 20 in the 6
  week trial.
• Different concentrations (potent to very potent)
  of calcipotriol was used daily.

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RESULTS

• In the 4 week trial with the 30 patients, 88
  were cured, but some developed side effects and
  with drew from the study
• In the 6 week trial with the 20 patients, 85
  were cured but 2 patients developed adverse
  effects.

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RATIONALE

• Patients treated with the calcipotriol (vitamin D
  analogue) did show some improvements but they
  were a few who developed more lesions and
  irritations.
• This makes calcipotriol not the best treatment
  for everyone to use.

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CONCLUSION

• The aloe vera extract 0.5 in hydrophilic cream
  was very effective and tolerable. Patients in
  the study developed no side effects, adverse
  symptoms or withdrawals.
• The placebo was not effective because the
  patients showed no changes.
• Calcipotriol was not effective because there were
  side effects and withdraws with this treatment.

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• Aloe vera 0.5 in a hydrophilic cream will be
  the new medication to treat psoriasis.
• Patients suffering from this disease will live a
  better life.

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REFERENCES

• Scheer, James F. 1998. Aloe A summer must-have
  so much more. Better Nutrition 6050-52.
• Stern, Robert. 1997. Psoriasis. The Lancet
  350349-353.
• Syed, Tanweer A. et al. 1996. Management of
  psoriasis with Aloe vera extract in hydrophilic
  cream a placebo-controlled, double-blind study.
  Trop Med Int Health 1505-509