| Theme | A new aspect of vitamin D | |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Vitamin D and skin disease | |
| Publish Date | 2005/07 | |
| Author | Masahito Tarutani | Department of Dermatology, Course of Molecular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University |
| [ Summary ] | Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that changes into vitamin D3 in the skin in response to 7-dehydrocholesterol produced by ultraviolet rays. Activated vitamin D3 ointment has recently come into use for dermatological diseases including psoriasis. The use of this medicine for external application was first reported in a case of senile osteoporosis whose psoriasis was cured after treatment with 1-alpha-hydroxyvitamin D3. At present, there are six kinds of vitamin D3 medicine for external application on the market. In this review, we discussed the mechanisms, effects, and directions for use of topical vitamin D3 for psoriasis and other skin diseases. | |