Journal of

Background and Aim: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory dermatosis that affects 0.6% to 4.8% of the general population. Our aim was to compare the effect of narrow band UVB (NB-UVB) on normal flora of cutaneous plaques and normal skin in psoriatic patients.

Methods: Twenty psoriatic patients without any contraindication of phototherapy were enrolled in this study. Samples from psoriatic lesions and adjacent normal skin, before and after phototherapy with NB-UVB were taken. Patients were treated with NB-UVB three times weekly until complete remission. Finally, quantity of normal cutaneous flora on normal and involved skin, before and after treatment was compared.

Results: The mean±SD of the NB-UVB sessions and the mean cumulative dose were 26.35±4.95 and 2.05±0.57 J/cm², respectively. The number of Staphylococcus epidermidis, S. aureus and diphtheroids on psoriatic plaques reduced after phototherapy.

Conclusuion: The quantity of normal cutaneous flora on normal skin is less than psoriatic plaques, and it reduced on normal and involved skin after phototherapy.

Background and Aim: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease, influenced by genetic and immune-based factors that is associated with skin inflammation. Aloe vera gel is traditionally used to treat skin diseases including psoriasis.
 

Methods: In this study, ethanolic extract of aloe vera gel was evaluated for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity in skin-derived A431 cells. First, after preparing the extract and then the green synthesis of gold nanoparticles using the extract, their effect on the expression of inflammatory genes as well as their antioxidant properties were investigated. 
 

Results: The use of different concentrations of aloe vera extract caused a relative increase in EGFR and Nrf2 expression levels and decreased expression of NF-κB, TNF-α and IL-6 inflammatory genes in A431 skin cells. But the effect of synthesized nanoparticles was greater than aloe vera extract in altering the expression of signaling and inflammatory genes.
 

Conclusion: The synthesized extracts and nanoparticles had antioxidant properties and also reduced the expression of inflammatory genes in cells. However, the effect of nanoparticles was much greater than that of extracts in reducing inflammatory genes.