• M A Middelkamp-Hup, J D Bos, F Rius-Diaz, S Gonzalez, and W Westerhof.
• Netherlands Institute for Pigment Disorders, Department of Dermatology, Academic Medical Center, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands. m.a.middelkamphup@amc.uva.nl
• J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2007 Aug 1; 21 (7): 942-50.

BackgroundThe first choice treatment for vitiligo vulgaris is narrow-band UVB (NB-UVB), but no satisfactory treatment exists.ObjectivesTo investigate if Polypodium leucotomos, an antioxidative and immunomodulatory plant extract, improves NB-UVB-induced repigmentation.MethodsFifty patients with vitiligo vulgaris randomly received 250 mg oral P. leucotomos or placebo three times daily, combined with NB-UVB twice weekly for 25-26 weeks.ResultsRepigmentation was higher in the P. leucotomos group vs. placebo in the head and neck area (44% vs. 27%, P = 0.06). Small repigmentation increases (P = n.s.) were observed for the trunk (6% increased repigmentation), extremities (4%), and hands and feet (5%) in the P. leucotomos group vs. placebo. Patients attending more than 80% of required NB-UVB sessions showed increased repigmentation in the head and neck area in the P. leucotomos group vs. placebo (50% vs. 19%, P < 0.002); no significant differences were seen in the other body areas. Patients with skin types 2 and 3 showed more repigmentation in the head and neck area in the P. leucotomos group vs. placebo (47% vs. 21%, P = 0.01), and no significant differences were seen in the other body areas. No conclusions could be drawn on skin types 4 and 5 due to low patient numbers.ConclusionThere is a clear trend towards an increase in repigmentation of vitiligo vulgaris affecting the head and neck area when NB-UVB phototherapy is combined with oral P. leucotomos. This effect may be more pronounced in light skin types.

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