Photobiomodulation in wounds of individuals with diabetes: a nonrandomized pilot study

Photobiomodulation has shown promising results in accelerating wound healing and modulating inflammation.

To evaluate the feasibility of photobiomodulation therapy in treating lower limb wounds in people with diabetes.

This was a 12-week prospective, pilot, multicenter, nonrandomized clinical trial. The 25 participants were divided into the intervention group, in which a laser was applied once a week and hydrogel was applied daily, and the control group, in which hydrogel was applied daily. Participants older than 18 years with a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus and with lower limb wounds smaller than 100 cm² were included. Participants with lupus, pyoderma gangrenosum, and Stevens-Johnson syndrome were excluded. Comparisons between the groups were performed using the Mann-Whitney U test, and comparisons between different time points were performed using the Friedman test. The Fisher exact test was used to assess associations between groups and qualitative variables.

No statistically significant difference in wound area was observed when comparing the 4 time points evaluated between groups. However, there was a significant difference when comparing the 4 time points in the intervention group. No significant difference between groups was observed in the expression of the cytokines investigated.

Application of photobiomodulation at an intensity of 2 J/cm² once a week did not produce measurable changes in cytokine gene expression. However, significant reduction in wound area and improvement in tissue repair were observed in patients treated with photobiomodulation.