The effectiveness of antibacterial therapeutic clothing based on silver or chitosan as compared with non-antibacterial therapeutic clothing in patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (ABC trial): study protocol for a pragmatic randomized controlled trial

Background Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that affects 10 to 20% of children and between 2 and 15% of the adults in Western Europe. Since 2000, therapeutic clothing or functional textiles based on silver or chitosan as antibacterial agents were introduced for AD. These agents aim to reduce skin colonization with Staphylococcus (S.) aureus. Increased colonization with S. aureus is correlated with increased AD severity. The antimicrobial effects of silver and chitosan have been demonstrated before. At this point, there is insufficient evidence for the effectiveness of antibacterial therapeutic clothing in patients with AD. Methods This is a pragmatic randomized controlled double-blind multi-center trial comparing the effectiveness of antibacterial therapeutic clothing based on silver or chitosan as compared with non-antibacterial therapeutic clothing in patients with moderate to severe AD. A total of 165 participants, aged 0 to 80, diagnosed with moderate to severe AD are included. The study is performed in the Erasmus MC University Medical Center, University Medical Center Groningen, University Medical Center Utrecht, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, and St. Antonius Hospital Nieuwegein. Patients will be randomized 1:1:1 into one of the three intervention groups: group A will receive therapeutic clothing without antimicrobial agents, group B will receive microbial growth reducing therapeutic clothing based on chitosan, and group C will receive antimicrobial clothing based on silver. All therapeutic clothing is to be worn at night during the 12-month intervention period. Usual care is continued. The primary objective is to assess the effectiveness of antibacterial clothing (silver and chitosan group) as compared to non-antibacterial clothing assessed with the Eczema Area and Severity Index at 12 months compared to baseline. Secondary outcomes include between-group differences in physician- and patient-reported outcome measures, topical therapy use, S. aureus skin colonization, and safety. Data will be collected at baseline and after 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months. A cost-effectiveness analysis will be performed. Discussion This trial will provide data on the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and safety of antibacterial therapeutic clothing for patients with AD. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04297215. Registered on 5 March 2020

Germanium-Titanium-π Polymer Composites as Functional Textiles for Clinical Strategy to Evaluate Blood Circulation Improvement and Sexual Satisfaction

By continuously enhancing the blood flow, far-infrared (FIR) textile is anticipated to be a potential non-pharmacological therapy in patients with peripheral vascular disorders, for instance, patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing hemodialysis (HD) and experiencing vasculogenic erectile dysfunction (VED). Hence, we manufactured a novel polymer composite, namely, germanium-titanium-π (Ge-Ti-π) textile and aimed to evaluate its characteristics and quality. We also investigated the immediate and long-term effects of the textile on patients with ESRD undergoing HD and experiencing VED. The Ge-Ti-π textile was found to have 0.93 FIR emissivity, 3.05 g/d strength, and 18.98% elongation. The results also showed a 51.6% bacteria reduction and negative fungal growth. On application in patients receiving HD, the Ge-Ti-π textile significantly reduced the limb numbness/pain (p < 0.001) and pain score on the visual analog scale (p < 0.001). Moreover, the Doppler ultrasound assessment data indicated a significant enhancement of blood flow in the right hand after 1 week of Ge-Ti-π textile treatment (p < 0.041). In VED patients, the Ge-Ti-π underpants treatment significantly improved the quality of sexual function and increased the average penile blood flow velocity after 3 months of the treatment. Our study suggests that the Ge-Ti-π textile could be beneficial for patients with blood circulation disorders.

Microencapsulation for Functional Textile Coatings with Emphasis on Biodegradability—A Systematic Review

The review provides an overview of research findings on microencapsulation for functional textile coatings. Methods for the preparation of microcapsules in textiles include in situ and interfacial polymerization, simple and complex coacervation, molecular inclusion and solvent evaporation from emulsions. Binders play a crucial role in coating formulations. Acrylic and polyurethane binders are commonly used in textile finishing, while organic acids and catalysts can be used for chemical grafting as crosslinkers between microcapsules and cotton fibres. Most of the conventional coating processes can be used for microcapsule-containing coatings, provided that the properties of the microcapsules are appropriate. There are standardised test methods available to evaluate the characteristics and washfastness of coated textiles. Among the functional textiles, the field of environmentally friendly biodegradable textiles with microcapsules is still at an early stage of development. So far, some physicochemical and physical microencapsulation methods using natural polymers or biodegradable synthetic polymers have been applied to produce environmentally friendly antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory or fragranced textiles. Standardised test methods for evaluating the biodegradability of textile materials are available. The stability of biodegradable microcapsules and the durability of coatings during the use and care of textiles still present several challenges that offer many opportunities for further research

ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF FIR FUNCTIONALIZED TEXTILE MATERIALS

Far Infrared (FIR) functionalized textile materials are enjoying a special attention nowadays, as a viable and practical solution for treating a wide range of medical conditions (relief of acute or chronic inflammation and circulatory problems, prevention of microbial infections, improvement of nervous system functions, reduction of skin lipids, improvement of blood circulation, removal of accumulated toxins by improving lymphatic circulation etc.). At the molecular level, FIR compounds and functionalized materials exert strong rotational and vibrational effects, with beneficial biological potential. These materials are based on the principle of absorbing light energy and then irradiating this energy back into the body at specific wavelengths. FIR functionalized textile materials are a new category of functional textiles that have the potential to improve well-being and health. Present paper explored the antimicrobial potential of four textile materials, functionalized with FIR, UV protection and antimicrobial functionalization compounds, tested according to two methods for assessment of antimicrobial character: a testing method in dynamic conditions and a testing method in static conditions. The evaluation of the antimicrobial character showed very good rates of reduction of the microbial population, of the functionalized textile materials, following the testing on four strains of pathogenic fungi: Candida albicans, Epydermophyton floccosum, Tricophyton interdigitale and Aspergillus niger, with reduction rates between 76.16% and 96.06%.

Biologically Plant-Based Pigments In Sustainable Innovations For Functional Textiles –The Role Of Green Chemistry

The textile industry is witnessing a paradigm shift towards sustainability to circumvent ecological dilemmas and human health jeopardies arising from textile processing. Therefore, the review paper herein focuses on the role of green chemistry in synthesizing the natural biological pigments and biomordants for textile substrates such as Sarsasapogenin and soyasaponin from areetha nut extract. Concurrently, the overview aligns the data on the chemical characterization of these plant-based renewable pigments for textile processing that is chlorophyll, carotenoids, flavonoids others. Likewise, the subtle and vital role of bioactive biological compounds in plant pigments for functional textiles applications for example antibacterial, analgesic, and more is succinctly accentuated. The review paper identifies the substantial surplus reserve of plant-based materials that could be conserved for sustainable implications in the textile field. However, there is a prodigious scope of research and development in the same and therefore concludes by citing the multi-disciplinary research as future work to mitigate declared climate emergency for international thrive ability. Likewise, the responsibility of conserving biodiversity, adhering to sustainable development goals, and cradle-to-cradle theories are reinforced in the review paper.

Sandwich Structures Reflecting Thermal Radiation Produced by the Human Body

Far infrared (FIR) textiles are a new category of functional textiles that have presumptive health and well-being functionality and are closely related to human thermo-physiological comfort. FIR exerts strong rotational and vibrational effects at the molecular level, with the potential to be biologically beneficial. In general, after absorbing either sunlight or heat from the human body, FIR textiles are designed to transform the energy into FIR radiation with a wavelength of 4–14 μm and pass it back to the human body. FIR textiles can meet increased demand for light, warm, comfortable, and healthy clothing. The main aim of this research is to describe the procedure for creating the FIR reflective textile layer as part of multilayer textile structures that have enhanced thermal protection. To develop the active FIR reflecting surface, the deposition of copper nanolayer on lightweight polyester nonwoven structure Milife, which has beneficial properties of low fiber diameters, good shape stability and comfort, was used. This FIR reflective layer was used as an active component of sandwiches composed of the outer layer, insulation layer, active layer, and inner layer. The suitable types of individual layers were based on their morphology, air permeability, spectral characteristics in the infra-red region, and thermal properties. Reflectivity, transmittance, and emissivity were evaluated from IR measurements. Human skin thermal behavior and the prediction of radiation from the human body dependent on ambient conditions and metabolic rate are also mentioned. The FIR reflective textile layer created, as part of multilayer textile structures, was observed to have enhanced thermal protection.