Herpes Simplex Treated With Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Area of Science:

• Oral medicine
• Dermatology
• Infectious diseases

Background:

• Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections are common, causing recurrent painful lesions.
• Topical acyclovir is a standard treatment, but alternative therapies are being explored.
• Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) offers a novel approach to managing viral infections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of aPDT versus topical acyclovir for treating herpes simplex lesions.
• To evaluate differences in healing time, recurrence rates, viral load, pain, and quality of life.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving patients with herpes simplex lesions in the vesicle or ulcer phase.
• Two groups: one received topical acyclovir plus aPDT simulation, the other received placebo ointment plus aPDT.
• Outcomes included lesion resolution time, recurrence, HSV-1 quantification (qPCR), pain, temperature, and OHIP-14 scores.

Main Results:

• No significant differences were observed in lesion resolution time, recurrence rates, pain, or local temperature between the aPDT and acyclovir groups after one year.
• A transient increase in HSV-1 viral load in saliva was noted on Day 3 in the acyclovir group, but this did not affect clinical outcomes.
• Oral Health Impact Profile Questionnaire (OHIP-14) scores were comparable between groups.

Conclusions:

• aPDT and topical acyclovir demonstrate similar clinical efficacy in managing herpes simplex lesions over a one-year period.
• Both treatments are effective in lesion resolution and recurrence prevention.
• The observed increase in viral load in the acyclovir group did not correlate with poorer clinical outcomes.