PUVA treatment of the nasal cavity improves the clinical symptoms of allergic rhinitis and inhibits the immediate-type hypersensitivity reaction in the skin

We earlier reported that intranasal irradiation with the 308 nm xenon chloride (XeCl) ultraviolet-B laser and irradiation with a combination of ultraviolet-B (UVB), ultraviolet-A (UVA) and visible light (VIS) is highly effective in the treatment of allergic rhinitis and inhibit the immediate-type hypersensitivity reaction in the skin. Since photochemotherapy with 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) plus UVA light (PUVA) is widely used in the treatment of different inflammatory skin disorders due to its immunosuppressive effect, in the present study we investigated the efficacy of intranasal PUVA treatment in allergic rhinitis and the effect of PUVA treatment on the skin prick test (SPT) reaction. An open study was performed in 17 patients with hay fever. Intranasal PUVA therapy was given four times weekly for 3 weeks. The treatment was started with a fluence of 0.5× of the individual minimal phototoxic dose (MPD) and the dosages were gradually increased. Evaluation was based on the symptom scores. The effect of PUVA treatment on the allergen-induced wheal formation was also studied in the SPT. PUVA treatment of the nasal cavity significantly decreased the nasal symptoms of the patients with allergic rhinitis. Treatment of the skin with PUVA also significantly suppressed the allergen-induced wheal formation in the SPT reaction. These data suggest that intranasal PUVA phototherapy is also an effective modality in the treatment of allergic rhinitis.