Topical effectiveness of different concentrations of nanosilver solution on Leishmania major lesions in Balb/c mice.

Background & objectives: Cutaneous leishmaniasis is an infection caused by protozoan genus Leishmania. Although glucantime is commonly used for the treatment of leishmaniasis, it has some side effects including increased liver enzymes and electrocardiogram changes. In addition, the drug is expensive, the injection is painful, and research shows that resistance of parasite to glucantime is growing in different parts of the world. Therefore, scientists are paying more attention to develop new drugs such as nanosilver solution. The present study is an attempt to evaluate the in vivo topical effects of different concentrations of nanosilver solution in the treatment of leishmaniasis lesions. Methods: In all, 90 female Balb/c mice aged 6–8 wk were infected with 2×106 viable stationary-phase promastigotes in the base of tail. Different concentrations (60, 80, 120, 130 and 2000 ppm) nanosilver solution were used in the present study to test the efficacy in the treatment of lesions. Clinical control of the infection trends was conducted weekly for 5 wk by measuring lesion diameter with standard Kulis-Vernieh. Data were analyzed by paired t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Tukey test. Results: Mean lesion diameter pre- and post-treatment did not significantly differ between different treatment groups (p >0.05). Likewise, a significant difference in splenic parasite load was also not observed between different treatment groups. Interpretation & conclusion: Based on our results, different concentrations of nanosilver are ineffective in reducing mean sizes of lesions.

Clindamycin lotion alone versus combination lotion of clindamycin phosphate plus tretinoin versus combination lotion of clindamycin phosphate plus salicylic acid in the topical treatment of mild to moderate acne vulgaris: A randomized control trial.

Background: Acne vulgaris is a common skin disease that affects 85% to 100% of people at some time during their lives. It is characterized by noninflammatory follicular papules or comedones and by inflammatory papules, pustules, and nodules in its more severe forms. Aims: To compare the efficacy of combination treatment of clindamycin+salicylic acid, versus clindamycin+tretinoin versus clindamycin alone in the treatment of the mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris. Methods: This was a single-blinded, randomized clinical trial.Forty-two female patients (age range: 15-25 years) with mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris were selected randomly and subsequently randomized to 3 groups. Group A patients were treated with 1% clindamycin lotion (C lotion) twice daily. Group B patients were treated with 1% clindamycin+0.025% tretinoin lotion once nightly (CT lotion). Group C patients were treated with 1% clindamycin+2% salicylic acid lotion twice daily (CS lotion) for 12 weeks. For comparison of efficacy of these treatments, and regarding the skewed distribution of the data, Kruskal-Wallis Test and Mann-Whitney U test were used. SPSS software was used for statistical analysis. Results: There was a significant difference between 3 types of treatment in the respect of the total lesion count (TLC) improvement ( P = 0.039). The efficacy of treatment on Acne Severity Index (ASI) was maximum for CS lotion (81.80% reduction in ASI). CT lotion reduced ASI by as much as 73.73% during 12 weeks of treatment. The efficacy of C lotion was calculated to be 37.87% in the reduction of ASI. Conclusions: Our data suggested that the efficacy of CS lotion was significantly more than C lotion with respect to the TLC and ASI, although there was no significant difference between CS and CT lotion.

Efficacy of topical azelaic acid gel in the treatment of mild-moderate acne vulgaris.

BACKGROUND: Twenty percent azelaic acid gel is recommended as a topical treatment for acne due to its favorable profile. AIM: Our objective in this study was to evaluate the efficacy of 20% azelaic acid gel in the treatment of mild to moderate acne vulgaris. METHODS: This was a double blind, randomized clinical trial. Sixty patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris were selected randomly to receive either azelaic acid gel or the vehicle gel alone. Patients were followed up every 15 days for a period of 45 days. The number of lesions and the acne severity index (ASI) were recorded and compared using Student's t-test. RESULTS: Total lesion count was reduced by 60.6% and 19.9% by azelaic acid gel and the placebo respectively (P = 0.002). ASI was reduced by 65.2% and 21.3% by azelaic acid gel and the placebo respectively (P = 0.001), i.e, azelaic acid gel was 3.06 times more effective than the placebo in reducing ASI. CONCLUSION: Azelaic acid gel can be used as an effective treatment in mild to moderate acne vulgaris.

The efficacy of 5% topical tea tree oil gel in mild to moderate acne vulgaris: a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Finding an effective treatment for acne that is well tolerated by the patients is a challenge. One study has suggested the efficacy of tea tree oil in treatment of the acne vulgaris. AIM: To determine the efficacy of tea tree oil in mild to moderate acne vulgaris. METHODS: This was a randomized double-blind clinical trial performed in 60 patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris. They were randomly divided into two groups and were treated with tea tree oil gel (n=30) or placebo (n=30). They were followed every 15 days for a period of 45 days. Response to treatment was evaluated by the total acne lesions counting (TLC) and acne severity index (ASI). The data was analyzed statistically using t-test and by SPSS program. RESULTS: There were no significant differences regarding demographic characteristics between the two groups. There was a significant difference between tea tree oil gel and placebo in the improvement of the TLC and also regarding improvement of the ASI. In terms of TLC and ASI, tea tree oil gel was 3.55 times and 5.75 times more effective than placebo respectively. Side-effects with both groups were relatively similar and tolerable. CONCLUSION: Topical 5% tea tree oil is an effective treatment for mild to moderate acne vulgaris.

The efficacy of 1% metronidazole gel in facial seborrheic dermatitis: a double blind study.

BACKGROUND: Seborrheic dermatitis is a common, chronic inflammatory disease of the skin, characterized by erythematous plaques that are covered with yellow, greasy, scales and may or may not be associated with itching. Although a few studies have suggested use of topical metronidazole for the treatment of seborrheic dermatitis, there is no general consensus about it. AIMS: To evaluate the efficacy of 1% metronidazole gel and its vehicle alone, in the treatment of seborrheic dermatitis. METHODS: This was a double-blind, prospective, clinical trial. Fifty six patients with seborrheic dermatitis were randomly allocated to either apply 1% metronidazole gel or placebo to their facial lesions, twice daily for 8 weeks. All the patients were evaluated and scored every 2 weeks for 8 weeks. The results were analyzed statistically. RESULTS: A total of 56 patients entered this study and 53 patients completed the treatment course. There was no significant difference in terms of demographic data and lesions severity score. There were statistically significant differences in the reduction of mean severity scores between the 2 groups at the second, fourth, sixth and eighth weeks of treatment (p<0.05). Metronidazole gel significantly decreased mean of seborrheic dermatitis severity score from the 2nd visit (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Metronidazole gel is an effective treatment for facial seborrheic dermatitis.