Evaluation of the photodynamic therapy in the treatment of Herpes Labialis. An in vivo, randomized and blind study.

• Grant number: 13/12317-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: February 01, 2014
• End date: March 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry
• Principal Investigator: Carlos de Paula Eduardo
• Grantee: Karen Muller Ramalho
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia (FO). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The infection caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV) is considered one of the most common human viruses; with an incidence of 90% of individuals with HSV-1 virus in the population and 40% usually develop secondary herpetic manifestations. Recurrences of infection with HSV-1 in oral and perioral region cause considerable discomfort pain and aesthetics' injury in patients and have a high level of contagion and transmission. Recent publications showed that viruses can acquire resistance to routinely antiviral drugs. This way the development of alternative methods for inhibition of HSV-1 and treatment of lesions of herpes labialis has significant importance. Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) has shown promising results as antimicrobial therapy, having several advantages, among as lack of side effects and inability to acquired resistance by microorganisms. In vitro, PDT was shown to be virucidal, but in vivo, after 1970 no other clinical outcome can be found in the scientific literature, applying this therapy for the clinical treatment of herpes labialis lesions. This study aim to evaluate the effectiveness of the application of PDT in the Treatment of Herpes Labialis, aiming the development of new treatment therapy. 99 patients will be selected with as at least 3 relapses of recurrences per year. Patients will be randomly divided into 3 groups: Group 1 (treated with PDT), Group 2 (treated with topical acyclovir) and Group 3 (association of PDT and acyclovir). Clinical manifestations related to recurrent HSV-1 as eritema, edema, ulceration, flaking, itching, burning, pain, lesion size, quantity of vesicles and total time for healing will be assessed by a second examiner, in a blind analysis, daily after the start of treatment. Patients will also be followed for a period of 24 months to evaluate the number of recurrences. The results between the groups tested will be evaluated through non-parametric statistical test with a significance level of 5%.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

RAMALHO, KAREN MULLER; PALADINI DE SOUZA, LARISSA MARCONDES; TORTAMANO, ISABEL PEIXOTO; ADDE, CARLOS ALBERTO; ROCHA, RODNEY GARCIA; EDUARDO, CARLOS DE PAULA. A randomized placebo-blind study of the effect of low power laser on pain caused by irreversible pulpitis. Lasers in Medical Science, v. 31, n. 9, p. 1899-1905, DEC 2016. (12/21670-1, 13/12317-9)

RAMALHO, KAREN MUELLER; HSU, CHIN-YING STEPHEN; DE FREITAS, PATRICIA MOREIRA; CORREA ARANHA, ANA CECILIA; ESTEVES-OLIVEIRA, MARCELLA; ROCHA, RODNEY GARCIA; EDUARDO, CARLOS DE PAULA. Erbium Lasers for the Prevention of Enamel and Dentin Demineralization: A Literature Review. Photomedicine and Laser Surgery, v. 33, n. 6, p. 301-319, JUN 1 2015. (13/12317-9)

RAMALHO, KAREN MULLER; CUNHA, SANDRA RIBEIRO; GONCALVES, FLAVIA; ESCUDEIRO, GUSTAVO SILVA; STEINER-OLIVEIRA, CAROLINA; RATO TEMPESTINI HORLIANA, ANNA CAROLINA; EDUARDO, CARLOS DE PAULA. Photodynamic therapy and Acyclovir in the treatment of recurrent herpes labialis: A controlled randomized clinical trial. Photodiagnosis and Photodynamic Therapy, v. 33, MAR 2021. (13/12317-9)