UVA 1 Phototherapy for Vitiligo
![]() |
The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details. |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01787695 |
Recruitment Status : Unknown
Verified June 2015 by University of British Columbia.
Recruitment status was: Recruiting
First Posted : February 11, 2013
Last Update Posted : July 2, 2015
|
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
---|---|---|
Vitiligo | Procedure: UVA1 | Phase 2 |
Vitiligo is a chronic acquired disease characterized by well defined white macules and patches affecting the skin and mucous membranes. Mucocutaneous lesions develop secondary to selective destruction of melanocytes. The etiology of vitiligo is largely unknown but more likely to be multifactorial. There are several theories on the pathogenesis of vitiligo including mainly the autoimmune, neurohormonal, and autocytotoxic theories. The autoimmune hypothesis has the strongest evidence with alteration mainly in the cellular immune response.
There are many treatment modalities available for vitiligo, however, none of them cure the disease. These include different topical treatments, phototherapy, surgical therapy, and depigmentation therapy. Narrow-band UVB (NB-UVB) is currently the preferred treatment over topical psoralen and ultraviolet A radiation (PUVA), for patients with vitiligo. However, overall response of vitiligo to NB-UVB has been variable. Ultraviolet A1(UVA1) phototherapy is now useful for a variety of skin diseases, specifically scleroderma. There are only a few studies published on the efficacy of UVA1 in vitiligo.
One of the main side effects of UVA1 is prominent tanning which might be due to melanocyte stimulation. Therefore, the investigators hypothesis is that UVA1 will induce significant skin pigmentation to improve vitiligo. The investigators plan on conducting a prospective single-blind randomized clinical trial to assess efficacy and safety of UVA1 in the treatment of vitiligo.
Study Objectives
- To evaluate the potential for UVA1 to induce repigmentation within vitiligo patches.
- To assess the side effect profile of UVA1 when used in the treatment of vitiligo.
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Estimated Enrollment : | 16 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Single Group Assignment |
Masking: | Single (Outcomes Assessor) |
Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
Study Start Date : | February 2013 |
Estimated Primary Completion Date : | December 2015 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
---|---|
No Intervention: No treatment (covered) | |
Active Comparator: UVA1 |
Procedure: UVA1
Patients with a vitiligo patch larger than 25cm2 will be recruited. The target patch will be divided into two halves. One half will be shielded by foil and served as control while the other half will be exposed to UVA1. The dose of UVA1 will be 60 J/cm2, 5 times a week for 4 weeks. Patients that have no or less than 10% pigmentation change after 4 weeks will receive UVA1 130J/cm2, 5 times a week for another 4 weeks. The patients with more than 10% pigmentation change will receive UVA1 60 J/cm2, 5times a week for another 4weeks. This will be followed by assessments at 4, 8, and 12 weeks post treatment. |
- Change in the modified VASI score compared to baseline. [ Time Frame: assessments at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks during treatment then at 4, 8, and 12 weeks post treatment ]
- Assessment of side effects in each half including erythema, pruritus, and polymorphous light eruption [ Time Frame: assessments at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks during treatment then at 4, 8, and 12 weeks post treatment ]

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
Ages Eligible for Study: | 19 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- Age > 18 years.
- Localized or generalized vitiligo that involves a non mucosal or acral site.
- Patients should have a patch of at least 25 cm2 that shows no more than 10% repigmentation as assessed visually
Exclusion Criteria:
- Patients who received treatment for vitiligo within the past 3 weeks.
- Patients known to have a photosensitivity disorder
- History of previous skin cancer.
- History of severe medical illness or immunosuppression.
- Pregnancy or breast-feeding.

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT01787695
Contact: Harvey Lui, MD, FRCPC | 17788595522 | harvey.lui@ubc.ca |
Canada, British Columbia | |
The Skin Care Center, Vancouver General Hospital | Recruiting |
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V5Z 4E8 | |
Contact: Harvey I Lui, MD FRCPC 16048754111 ext 68691 harvey.lui@ubc.ca | |
Principal Investigator: Harvey Lui, MD FRCPC |
Principal Investigator: | Harvey Lui, MD, FRCPC | University of British Columbia |
Responsible Party: | University of British Columbia |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT01787695 History of Changes |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
H10-02235 |
First Posted: | February 11, 2013 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | July 2, 2015 |
Last Verified: | June 2015 |
Keywords provided by University of British Columbia:
Vitiligo UVA1 Phototherapy |
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Vitiligo Hypopigmentation Pigmentation Disorders Skin Diseases |