The Effectiveness of Intralesional Platelet Rich Plasma in Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis Compared With Triamcinolone Acetonide.

BACKGROUND: Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is an autoimmune disease that affects 25% of the population, with no cure until now. Intralesional triamcinolone acetonide (TA) injections are an effective classic treatment for RAS; and, more recently, intralesional platelet rich plasma (PRP) has been used to manage oral lesions of some autoimmune diseases. OBJECTIVES: To try intralesional PRP injections in the management of recurrent oral ulceration of Behcet's disease and compare their clinical effect with intralesional TA injections; and to study the effects of both treatments on the serum level of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. METHODS: Thirty patients diagnosed with RAS were recruited for this trial, with a male to female ratio of 1:1, and ages ranging from 12 to 66 years. For 6 months, 15 patients were treated monthly with intralesional PRP injections and the other 15 were treated monthly with intralesional TA injections. The clinical effects of both treatments were registered in the oral clinical manifestation index (OCMI), as were their effects on the serum levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. RESULTS: The OCMI of PRP-treated patients initially ranged from 8 to 23 with a mean±SD of (13.5±4.6). This mean decreased to 5.7 by the end of month 6, with a statistically highly significant P-value compared with baseline. The OCMI of TA-treated patients initially ranged from 8 to 20 with a mean±SD of (13.5±3.8). This mean decreased to 10.5 by the end of month 6, with a statistically significant P-value compared with baseline. Both treatments significantly decreased the serum levels of IL-1β, while only PRP significantly decreased the TNF-α. CONCLUSION: Intralesional PRP injections are a new, safe, and effective treatment for RAS. J Drugs Dermatol. 2023;22(4): doi:10.36849/JDD.7218 Citation: Kadhim MAA, Musa HD, Barzanji HAA. The effectiveness of intralesional platelet rich plasma in recurrent aphthous stomatitis in comparison with triamcinolone acetonide. J Drugs Dermatol. 2023;22(4):398-403. doi:10.36849/JDD.7218.

Etiology and Incidence of Viral Acute Respiratory Infections Among Refugees Aged 5 Years and Older in Hagadera Camp, Dadaab, Kenya.

We used the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-Kenya Medical Research Institute Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) Surveillance System data to estimate severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) hospitalization rates, viral etiology, and associated complaints of influenza-like illnesses (ILI) and SARI conditions among those aged 5 years and older in Hagadera, Dadaab refugee camp, Kenya, for 2010-2012. A total of 471 patients aged ≥ 5 years met the case definition for ILI or SARI. SARI hospitalization rates per 10,000 person-years were 14.7 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 9.1, 22.2) for those aged 5-14 years; 3.4 (95% CI = 1.6, 7.2) for those aged 15-24 year; and 3.8 (95% CI = 1.6, 7.2) for those aged ≥ 25 years. Persons between the ages of 5 and 14 years had 3.5 greater odds to have been hospitalized as a result of SARI than those aged ≥ 25 years (odds ratio [OR] = 3.5, P < 0.001). Among the 419 samples tested, 169 (40.3%) were positive for one or more virus. Of those samples having viruses, 36.9% had influenza A; 29.9% had adenovirus; 20.2% had influenza B; and 14.4% had parainfluenza 1, 2, or 3. Muscle/joint pain was associated with influenza A (P = 0.002), whereas headache was associated with influenza B (P = 0.019). ARIs were responsible for a substantial disease burden in Hagadera camp.