A COMPARATIVE STUDY ABOUT THE tOPICAL EFFECT OF PROPOLIS VERSUS - PROPOLIS AND ALOE VERA IN THE TREATMENT OF PSORIASIS

Abstract

Sixty-four patients (41 males and 23 females) of different types of psoriasis were treated in the period between May 2000 to January 2002. The treatment was done by topical application of two natural products namely propolis and aloe Vera and combination of them. The preparations used in the present study, were propolis ointment 50%, propolis cream 50%, Aloe Vera ointment 3%, propolis 50%­ aloe 3% mixture and base cream as a control agent.

The duration of treatment lasted for 12 weeks while the follow up continued for another 12 weeks. The evaluation of treatment was based on clinical basis, histopathological examination through skin biopsy prior •and after treatment plus statistical analysis of the results.

The results were satisfactory where the overall cure rate reached to. 75% as 9.4% of cases showed no response and 15.6% of cases showed adverse effects as contact dermatitis especially with propolis alone and were obliged to stop the therapy. The highest cure rate was faced with propolis-aloe mixture and nearly without side effects.

The histopathological examination confirmed the clinical results and marked healing of the psoriatic lesions was evident. Propolis cream 50% achieved marvelous results in specific areas as scalp and nail as the cure rate was nearly 100%.

Apitherapy proved its efficacy in the treatment of this perplexing chronic dermatological disease. There was and still an interest in the treatment by using bee products. But, further research has to be done to discover their effects on the ultra structural skin components, to study their effects on the different inflammatory mediators and proliferative keratinocytes, which may have a role in psoriasis.