diflucortolone and Dermatitis--Contact

We report on 161 patients suffering from inflammatory dermatoses on hands, forearms, and lower legs who had been initially treated with 0.1% difluocortolone valerate. During the maintenance therapy carried out over a period of 3 to 4 weeks, we tested the efficacy of Kamillosan cream vs. 0.25% hydrocortisone, 0.75% fluocortin butyl ester, and 5% bufexamac in a bilateral comparative study. For the indications tested Kamillosan cream showed more or less equieffective therapeutic results as compared to 0.25% hydrocortisone. It is superior, however, to the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent 5% bufexamac as well as to 0.75% fluocortin butyl ester, a further glucocorticoid. With regard to neurodermitis, Kamillosan cream not only shows the same therapeutic effect as 0.25% hydrocortisone but is even of marked superiority towards other reference products.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Bufexamac; Chamomile; Clinical Trials as Topic; Dermatitis; Dermatitis, Contact; Dermatitis, Seborrheic; Diflucortolone; Female; Fluocortolone; Humans; Hydrocortisone; Hydroxamic Acids; Male; Middle Aged; Neurodermatitis; Oils, Volatile; Ointments; Plant Extracts; Plants, Medicinal

Effects of a topical corticosteroid drug, diflucortolone valerate, on the mRNA expressions for four CC- and four CXC-chemokines, which have been reported to be associated with recruitment of different kinds of proinflammatory and inflammatory cells, were investigated by RT-PCR in mice with 2,4,6-trinitrochlorobenzene (TNCB)-induced contact hypersensitivity (CHS) response. All of the eight gene expressions were clearly up-regulated in the lesion site of the CHS response up to 24 h post-challenge of TNCB at which ear swelling response reached a peak, so that heavy infiltration of inflammatory cells consisting mainly of mononuclear cells and neutrophils was likely induced by these chemokines. Topical treatment with diflucortolone valerate suppressed completely the infiltrates as well as the ear swelling response. In addition, the up-regulation of gene expressions for these eight chemokines were suppressed by the treatment, indicating that the corticosteroid drug attenuates the expression of chemokine genes essential for orientating nonspecific skin response to hapten-specific CHS response through the recruitment of inflammatory cells from the circulation into the tissue site.

Topics: Administration, Cutaneous; Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Chemokines; Dermatitis, Contact; Diflucortolone; Ear; Gene Expression; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger; Time Factors

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Child; Child, Preschool; Chlorquinaldol; Dermatitis, Contact; Diflucortolone; Drug Evaluation; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Fluocortolone; Humans; Hydroxyquinolines; Male; Middle Aged