S. Ikeda, M. Manabe, T. Muramatsu
Jun 1, 1988
Citations
0
Influential Citations
25
Citations
Quality indicators
Journal
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
Abstract
Recently we reported that a kind of serine protease, SH protease, and collagenase might be involved in blister formation and, furthermore, that the cooperative action of these three proteases was essential for blister formation in recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa. In this study we examined the inhibitory effect of clinically usable serine protease inhibitors for blister formation in organ culture and in clinical trials of recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa patients. Camostat mesylate, a synthetic serine protease inhibitor that is available for the treatment of chronic pancreatitis, demonstrated a striking effect of inhibiting blistering in organ culture of normal human skin with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa blister fluids. Subsequently we administered camostat mesylate by topical application to four patients with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa to assess its ability to reduce blistering. Therapeutic response was favorable; a significant effect in decreasing the number of blisters was observed in three of four patients. These findings actually supported the hypothesis that a kind of serine protease had a close relationship with blistering in recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa and that therapy with a clinically usable protease inhibitor was useful for the treatment of this disease.