***TASK*** the task is to summarize an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***INPUT*** the input is a biomedical literature 
    ***OUTPUT*** the output is the summary of an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***DOCUMENTATION*** 
    ***EXAMPLES*** 
    Input: UVB phototherapy of atopic dermatitis was investigated in two paired‐comparison studies . In study 1 , 17 patients were treated for 8 weeks with ultraviolet B radiation ( UVB ) on one half of the body and with visible light ( placebo ) on the other . A severity score based on eight clinical variables was determined before , during and after treatment . The total score , pruritus score and overall evaluation score were significantly better on the UVB treated sides than on the placebo treated sides ( P < 0.001 ) . In 13 patients the UVB treated side healed or improved considerably , while the placebo treated side improved considerably in one patient only In a paired-comparison study 30 patients with atopic dermatitis underwent treatment with a combination of UVA and UVB radiation ( UVAB ) on one side of the body and UVB on the other . Treatment was administered three times a week for a maximum of 8 weeks . Each patient was evaluated with respect to eight effect variables . Statistically significant differences in favor of UVAB were observed for all analyzed variables , namely total score ( p = 0.002 ) , pruritus score ( p = 0.04 ) , and overall evaluation score ( p = 0.03 ) . No statistically significant differences in healing rate were seen ; 25 of 30 UVB-treated , and 26 of 30 UVAB-treated , body halves healed or were considerably improved . Patient preference was overwhelmingly in favor of UVAB ; 23 of 24 patients who completed an evaluation form preferred this treatment . Only 1 of 24 preferred UVB BACKGROUND Besides glucocorticosteroids , there is currently no known effective therapy for patients with acute atopic dermatitis . OBJECTIVE The therapeutic effectiveness of high-dose UVA1 irradiation in the management of patients with acute exacerbation of atopic dermatitis was examined . METHODS Patients in the  high-dose UVA1 group ( n = 15 ) were irradiated with 130 joules/cm2 UVA1 ; the control group ( n = 10 ) was treated with UVA-UVB therapy in a minimal erythema dose-dependent manner ( total number of treatments 15 ) . RESULTS High-dose UVA1 irradiation was found to induce a significant clinical improvement of atopic dermatitis ( p less than 0.001 ) . In comparison with UVA-UVB therapy , significant differences in favor of high-dose UVA1 were observed ( p less than 0.01 ) . High-dose UVA1 , but not UVA-UVB treatment , significantly reduced the elevated serum level of eosinophil cationic protein in patients with atopic dermatitis ( p less than 0.003 ) . CONCLUSION These studies indicate that high-dose UVA1 irradiation may represent a novel phototherapeutic modality for the treatment of patients with an acute exacerbation of atopic dermatitis Two paired-comparison left-right studies were conducted with patients suffering from atopic dermatitis . In study 1 , 18 patients were treated with low-dose ultraviolet B ( UVB ) radiation on one body-half and with combined UVA and UVB ( UVAB ) on the other 3 times a week for up to 8 weeks . Eight effect variables were recorded . Statistically significant differences in favor of UVAB were seen for 3 variables analyzed , total score , overall evaluation score and pruritus score . The healing score was likewise better with UVAB ; 17 patients achieved healing or considerable improvement as compared with 5 patients with UVB treatment . The result was judged to be better with UVAB in 16 subjects and equal in 2 . In none of the cases did low-dose UVB yield better results . Sixteen patients preferred UVAB to UVB , 2 had no preference , but none preferred low-dose UVB . In study 2 , the arms or legs of 25 patients were treated with UVA and UVAB , respectively , 5 days a week for 3 weeks . UVAB proved to be better when comparing total score and overall evaluation score . No difference in pruritus score was detected . The healing score favored UVAB . Twenty-three patients healed or improved considerably with UVAB as compared with 17 patients with UVA . Better results were achieved with UVAB in 15 patients , with UVA in 4 , and both therapies yielded equal results in 6 cases . Eighteen patients preferred UVAB , 5 UVA and 2 neither . Both UVA and UVAB yielded scores superior to untreated control patches BACKGROUND Narrow-b and ultraviolet B ( UVB ) is an effective treatment for psoriasis , and open studies suggest that this phototherapy might improve atopic eczema . We did a r and omised controlled trial to compare narrow-b and UVB , UVA , and visible light phototherapy as second-line , adjunctive treatments in adult patients with moderate to severe atopic eczema . METHODS Phototherapy was administered twice a week for 12 weeks . 26 patients were r and omly assigned narrow-b and UVB  , 24 were assigned UVA , and 23 visible fluorescent light . The primary endpoints were change in total disease activity ( sum of scores at six body sites ) and change in extent of disease after 24 treatments compared with baseline . Data were analysed by the method of summary measures . FINDINGS 13 patients withdrew or were excluded from analysis .  Mean reductions in total disease activity over 24 treatments in patients who received narrow-b and UVB and UVA , respectively , were 9.4 points ( 95 % CI 3.6 to 15.2 ) and 4.4 points ( -1.0 to 9.8 ) more than in patients who received visible light .  Mean reductions in extent of disease after 24 treatments with narrow-b and UVB and UVA were 6.7 % ( 1.5 to 11.9 ) and -1.0 % ( -5.3 to 3.3 ) compared with visible light . A small proportion of patients developed erythema after phototherapy or had a flare in their eczema sufficient to withdraw from treatment . INTERPRETATION Narrow-b and UVB is an effective adjunctive treatment for moderate to severe atopic eczema , and the treatment is well tolerated by most patients BACKGROUND Data from an uncontrolled trial suggest synchronous balneophototherapy ( sBPT ) , which simulates treatment conditions at the Dead Sea , to be effective in the management of atopic dermatitis ( AD ) . OBJECTIVES The purpose of this prospect i ve r and omized controlled study was to compare the efficacy and safety of sBPT with narrow-b and ( NB ) UVB monotherapy ( PT ) for AD . METHODS In this phase III multicentre trial , 180 patients with moderate-to-severe AD were allocated to two groups in a 1:1 ratio ; group 1 received sBPT consisting of NB UVB treatment and synchronous bathing in 10 % Dead Sea salt solution , group 2 monotherapy with UVB 311 nm . The confirmatory study design consisted of up to 35 treatment sessions . Primary endpoint , analysed on an intention-to-treat-basis ( n=169 ) , was the relative improvement of the severity SCORing of the Atopic Dermatitis Index ( SCORAD ) from baseline to the end of treatment ( 35 sessions or early cure ) . Sample -size calculation aim ed at establishing at least 15 % superiority . RESULTS SCORing of the Atopic Dermatitis Index at baseline was comparable between sBPT ( 61.8±14.1 ) and PT ( 61.5±12.4 ) group . At the end of therapy , a clinical ly relevant and statistically significant difference of 26.2 % could be shown ( P<0.001 ) . Exploratory testing showed statistically significant superiority of sBPT after 6 months . Mild adverse events more frequently occurred in the sBPT group ( n=46 , PT : n=31 ) , whereas more patients withdrew early because of adverse events in the PT group ( n=6 , sBPT : n=2 ) . CONCLUSIONS A clear advantage of sBPT in comparison to PT was proven . Tolerability was comparable ; both treatments showed to be safe BACKGROUND Several studies have demonstrated the efficacy of UVA1 ( 340 - 400 nm ) phototherapy for patients with severe atopic dermatitis . However , the optimum treatment dose has yet to be determined . Although in seminal investigations high UVA1 doses were used , comparable results were reported in recent studies with a medium-dose regimen . OBJECTIVE Our purpose was to compare the efficacy of high-dose with medium-dose UVA1 phototherapy for patients with severe generalized atopic dermatitis . METHODS Ten adult patients with a median baseline SCORAD score of 67 were enrolled in an investigator-blinded , bilateral comparison study . Treatment was given 5 times weekly over a period of 3 weeks on an outpatient basis . Irradiation was performed by exposing one half of the patient 's body to high-dose UVA1 ( < or = 130 J/cm(2 ) ) , and the contralateral body side received only half that dose . The clinical response was assessed after 5 , 10 , and 15 treatments . After completion of the study , patients were followed up for 6 months to evaluate the duration of clinical improvement . RESULTS All but one patient responded favorably to treatment . High-dose UVA1 led to a decrease of the median SCORAD score by 33.4 % after 1 week , 38.4 % after 2 weeks , and 34.7 % after 3 weeks . The respective values for the medium-dose regimen were 29.7 % , 36.4 % , and 28.2 % . The difference in efficacy between the two dosages remained below the level of significance at all time points . Relapses occurred after a median of 4 weeks . Time of onset and severity of relapse were the same for both doses . CONCLUSION Our data support previous uncontrolled observations that medium-dose UVA1 is comparably as effective as high-dose treatment for patients with severe generalized atopic dermatitis . Irrespective of the dose regimen , follow-up examinations revealed early relapse in the majority of patients BACKGROUND Phototherapy may be effective in atopic dermatitis ( AD ) .  Medium-dose ( MD ) ultraviolet ( UV ) A1 was introduced for the treatment of AD . Few immunohistochemical data are available pertaining to phototherapy in AD . Regulatory T cells may play a role in clearing AD . OBJECTIVES We sought to compare the clinical and immunohistochemical effects of narrowb and ( NB ) UVB and MD UVA1 treatment in patients with AD . METHODS Thirteen adult patients with AD were included in this r and omized investigator-blinded half-sided comparison study between NB UVB and MD UVA1 . Disease activity was measured using the Leicester sign score . Skin biopsy specimens were taken before and after phototherapy .  Regulatory T cells were stained with the forkhead box protein P3 ( FoxP3 ) . RESULTS NB UVB and MD UVA1 both significantly decreased AD severity ( P < .01 ) and the dermal cellular infiltrate . The percentage of FoxP3(+)CD3(+ ) T cells did not change after NB UVB or MD UVA1 treatment . LIMITATION MD UVA1 therapy was given 3 times per week instead of the preferred regimen of 5 times per week . This was necessary to achieve good blinding of the study . CONCLUSIONS NB UVB and MD UVA1 seem equally effective in the treatment of patients with moderate to severe AD . Neither MD UVA1 nor NB UVB had an effect on the percentage of FoxP3(+)CD3(+ ) T cells Summary In a paired‐comparison study , 21 patients suffering from atopic dermatitis were treated with fluorescent tubes radiating mainly ultraviolet A ( UVA ) on one half of the body and with tubes radiating mainly UVB on the other . Treatment was given three times a week for up to 8 weeks . Eight variables reflecting disease status were recorded and the sum of these comprised the total score . The total score and the overall evaluation score were better with UVA therapy ( p<0·02 and P=0·01 , respectively . No statistically significant difference for the pruritus score was found . The reduction in extent of dermatitis , seen with both therapies , was more pronounced with UVA ( P<0·05 ) . Differences in the healing score were not statistically significant . Treatment with UVA result ed in healing or considerable improvement in 15 patients and 13 patients showed improvement when treated with UBA . A better result was found with UVA in 10 subjects and with UVB in two subjects . Equal results occurred with both UVA and UVB in nine of the patients although most preferred UVA treatment BACKGROUND The results of an open , single-center study suggested that phototherapy with high doses of UVA1 radiation ( UVA1R ; 340 - 400 nm ) is effective for acute , severe exacerbations of atopic dermatitis ( AD ) . OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of high-dose UVA1 phototherapy for acute , severe AD in a r and omized multicenter trial in direct comparison with topical glucocorticoid therapy . METHODS Patients were treated with high-dose UVA1R ( 10 days , 130 J/cm2/day ; n = 20 ) , topically with fluocortolone ( 10 days , 1 x daily ; n = 17 ) , or with UVA-UVB therapy ( 10 days , 1 x daily , minimal erythema dose-dependent ; n = 16 ) . RESULTS With a clinical scoring system , significant differences in favor of high-dose UVA1R and fluocortolone therapy were observed 
    Output:
    
There is evidence for the use of narrow-b and UV-B and UV-A1 phototherapy in moderate to severe atopic dermatitis .
Evidence supporting the use of PUVA in atopic dermatitis is scarce and there is little information on the use of phototherapy in childhood .