Efficacy of a vaginal tablet as a Persian medicine product on vulvovaginal candidiasis: a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial.

Context: In Persian medicine, topical ingredients such as Rosa damascena Mill. (Rosaceae), are usually recommended for the treatment of uterine diseases. Scientific evaluation of these historical documents can be valuable for finding new potential use in conventional medicine.Objective: This clinical trial was performed to determine whether the use of the 'ward' vaginal tablet, which contains Rosa damascena, Punica granatum L. (Punicaceae), Querqus infectoria Oliv. (Fagaceae), Myrtus communis L. (Myrtaceae) and Nardostachys jatamansi (D.Don) DC. (Caprifoliaceae) could alleviate the symptoms of vulvovaginal candidiasis.Materials and methods: A parallel double-blinded placebo-controlled study was done. Eighteen to fifty-year-old women with vulvovaginal candidiasis were divided into the 'ward' and placebo groups, 46 individuals in each group. The 'ward' group received the 'ward' vaginal tablet containing 200 mg of dried extract. Placebo group received a placebo (composed of corn starch and lactose). One tablet was applied through the vagina for 7 consecutive nights.Results: Two weeks after medication administration, the vaginal discharge sample of patients was re-cultured; 29 patients (63.045%) in the 'ward' group and 6 (13.04%) patients in the placebo group had negative culture (p < 0.001). All clinical symptoms including itching, irritation, and vaginal discharge were significantly reduced in the 'ward' group compared with the placebo group following the intervention and the follow up (p < 0.05).Discussion and conclusions: The findings suggest the 'ward' vaginal tablet could ameliorate vulvovaginal candidiasis. Future larger studies are recommended due to compare the therapeutic effect of the 'ward' vaginal tablet with common treatments.

Use of mineral waters in the treatment of psoriasis: Perspectives of Persian and conventional medicine.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease, which is accompanied by social and emotional complications leading to considerable disability. There is no definitive cure and treatment options carry complications. Balneotherapy has been used for years in psoriasis. Antibiotic, keratolytic, and anti-inflammatory effects of these waters have been proved. Persian medicine (PM) is a source of natural remedies for skin disease. The aim of study is to explain scientific evidences of Persian mineral waters as a treatment option for psoriasis. This is a narrative review, which investigates medical manuscripts of medieval Persia from 10th to 19th centuries AD noted as credible textbooks about mineral waters. Furthermore, balneotherapy evidences searched in databases including Pubmed, Scopus, and Cochrane until December 2017 to obtain clinical evidences related to psoriasis. In PM, mineral waters have keratolytic activity and can regulate superficial skin layers hyperproliferation, which is recommended for psoriasis treatment. In various studies, antiproliferative, keratolytic, antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects of these waters have been proved completely. There are scientific evidences, which demonstrate that mineral waters in Persia, can reduce clinical symptoms of psoriasis and improve quality of life in patients. Therefore, this method might be considered as treatment options for psoriasis.

DNA mobility shift assay as a tool for the detection of anti-dsDNA antibodies in sera from discoid lupus erythematosus patients.

Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) is a form of local inflammatory autoimmune disease limited to the skin, involving essentially the face, scalp and ear. DLE occurs in genetically predisposed individuals, sunlight being an identified trigger. Diagnosis is made by clinical examination and histopathology; laboratory tests occasionally performed include anti-nuclear antibodies titers and presence of circulating antibodies against dsDNA. DLE patients have about a 10% chance of developing systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a systemic inflammatory autoimmune disease affecting a range of internal organs. Although elevated titers of anti-dsDNA antibodies is an earmark for lupus disease, they are detected in only 20-55% of DLE patients by routine laboratory tests such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In this research, we applied an electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) in parallel with an ELISA for the detection of circulating anti-dsDNA in DLE patients. The assays were conducted on sera as well as on the immunoglobulin G fraction from sera of 24 DLE patients and of 24 healthy individuals. The EMSA was positive for all DLE patients while the ELISA was positive for only 36% of them; both assays were negative for the healthy individuals. EMSA conducted on the sera of 15 patients with lichen planus was negative in all cases. Results suggest that the EMSA is more sensitive than the routine tests used for the detection of anti-dsDNA in DLE, thus helping to improve early detection of the disease and, by extension, to better evaluate the factors triggering the disease.