We evaluated dermal absorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) as well as the genotoxic and apoptotic effects of Goeckerman therapy (GT) in 20 patients with psoriasis, by determining numbers of chromosomal abnormalities in peripheral lymphocytes, and levels of 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP), p53 protein and soluble FasL (sFasL) in urine and/or blood, before and after GT. Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score was used to evaluate clinical efficacy of GT.
Our results demonstrate high dermal absorption of PAH during GT and provide evidence that GT promotes genotoxicity and apoptosis.