Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40317189›Full record

ArticleThe British journal of dermatology2025

Mutation burden of narrowband ultraviolet B phototherapy (NB-UVB) in human skin: relevance to NB-UVB lifetime exposures and skin cancer surveillance.

Joanna C Fowler, Roshan K Sood, George Coltart, Chester Lai, Noeline Nadarajah, John W Holloway, Matthew J J Rose-Zerilli, Brian Diffey, Philip H Jones, Eugene Healy

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Article in The British journal of dermatology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Joanna C FowlerWellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK.
Roshan K SoodWellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK.
George ColtartDermatopharmacology, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-7648-8741
Chester LaiDermatopharmacology, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-2282-5655
Noeline NadarajahDermatopharmacology, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK.
John W HollowayHuman Development and Health, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-9998-0464
Matthew J J Rose-ZerilliInstitute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-1064-5350
Brian DiffeyTranslational and Clinical Research Institute (Dermatology), Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-8955-125X
Philip H JonesWellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-5904-795X
Eugene HealyDermatopharmacology, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-5591-6970

Funding

Medical Research CouncilMedical Research Council Clinical Academic Research PartnershipPsoriasis AssociationWellcome TrustWellcome Trust 108413/A/15/DWellcome Trust 206194
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundUltraviolet radiation (UVR) is used as treatment for psoriasis and other skin diseases, but UVR can induce DNA mutations that may lead to skin cancer development. While skin cancers have been documented in patients treated with phototherapy, a limited number of epidemiological studies have examined the incidence of skin cancer in people receiving narrowband ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) treatment. Information on the mutagenicity of NB-UVB would help inform about the potential skin cancer risks of this treatment.

objectivesTo determine the mutation burden in human skin resulting from a NB-UVB treatment course and to use this data to estimate the total number of NB-UVB exposures whereupon skin cancer surveillance should begin.

methodsBiopsies of normal skin were obtained before and after a course of NB-UVB from 16 patients with psoriasis. Epidermal DNA was sequenced using nanorate sequencing (NanoSeq) to determine the mutational signatures and mutation burden from NB-UVB.

resultsThe NB-UVB treatment course increased the number of mutations in skin. Median increase in mutation burden was 0.55 substitutions per Mb in infrequently sun-exposed (buttock; n = 14) skin and 0.89 substitutions per Mb in frequently sun-exposed (forearm; n = 10) skin (P < 0.001). Change in mutation burden due to NB-UVB ranged from 1.16- to 10.50-fold in buttock skin and from 0.93- to 2.33-fold in forearm skin. This increase was mainly attributable to UVR exposure-linked mutational signatures, SBS7a and SBS7b, with some evidence that mutational burden was related to the genetic background of the individual. Modelling the change in mutation burden from NB-UVB relative to minimal erythema dose (MED) in comparison with average mutation burden in keratinocyte skin cancers allowed estimation of total lifetime exposures at which patients are likely to require skin cancer surveillance; for patients with a MED equal to 2 standard erythemal doses (SEDs), skin cancer surveillance should be offered at 422, 165 and 58 NB-UVB exposures for those receiving low, typical and high levels of sun exposure, respectively.

conclusionsA treatment course of NB-UVB causes UVR-induced mutations in the healthy skin of patients with psoriasis. Relating mutation burden to MED and sun behaviour habits allows estimation of when to begin skin cancer surveillance according to total lifetime NB-UVB exposures.

Indexed as

MutationNeoplasms, Radiation-InducedPsoriasisSkin NeoplasmsUltraviolet TherapyAdultAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedSkin

Identifiers

PMID40317189
PMCPMC12448954

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.