Comparison between Low Level Diode Laser Therapy and Acyclovir Cream 5% in Treatment of Herpes Labialis

Introduction: Recurrent Herpes Labialis (RHL) is a common infection and occurs in 20 to 40% of the general population. Risk for transmission exists in dental treatments. There are several different treatments for it. The purpose of this study is a comparison between low-level Laser therapy (LLLT) and acyclovir cream for the treatment of it. Materials & Methods: This performed study was a semi-blind clinical trial in the Oral Medicine Department, Dental School, Islamic Azad University Isfahan Branch (Khorasgan) in the year 2015- 2016. 30 patients got divided into 2 similar groups. Patients in LLLT group, treated in 3 sessions every other day, received 660 nm laser irradiation,100mW,4 J/cm2, continuous, located at a distance of 1 mm from the lesion for 40 seconds. Patients in the medication group treated with 5% acyclovir cream five times a day. In both groups severity of pain and lesion size during treatment and healing time recorded. The collected data were analyzed using statistical tests including independent T-test and Repeated Measures ANOVA ( p value < 0.05). Results: The laser group had better statistically findings for the median time for pain relief (p value < 0.001), and the median time for healing (p value < 0.001), the median lesions size two days after treatment (p value = 0.03), and four days after treatment (p value = 0.003). Conclusion: According to data analysis, laser 660 nm is more effective in pain relief and lesions size reduction and healing time than topical acyclovir in patients with herpes labialis.

Variability of Skin Pharmacokinetic Data: Insights from a Topical Bioequivalence Study Using Dermal Open Flow Microperfusion

Purpose Dermal open flow microperfusion (dOFM) has previously demonstrated its utility to assess the bioequivalence (BE) of topical drug products in a clinical study. We aimed to characterize the sources of variability in the dermal pharmacokinetic data from that study. Methods Exploratory statistical analyses were performed with multivariate data from a clinical dOFM-study in 20 healthy adults evaluating the BE, or lack thereof, of Austrian test (T) and U.S. reference (R) acyclovir cream, 5% products. Results The overall variability of logAUC values (CV: 39% for R and 45% for T) was dominated by inter-subject variability (R: 82%, T: 91%) which correlated best with the subject’s skin conductance. Intra-subject variability was 18% (R) and 9% (T) of the overall variability; skin treatment sites or methodological factors did not significantly contribute to that variability. Conclusions Inter-subject variability was the major component of overall variability for acyclovir, and treatment site location did not significantly influence intra-subject variability. These results support a dOFM BE study design with T and R products assessed simultaneously on the same subject, where T and R treatment sites do not necessarily need to be next to each other. Localized variation in skin microstructure may be primarily responsible for intra-subject variability.