RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Therapies for postacne scarring act through modulation of elastin and collagen, and collagen III might therefore represent a biomarker of treatment effectiveness. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients (n = 70) with postacne scars and individuals without scars (n = 56) were included in this case-control study. Patients were treated with Dermaroller microneedling, trichloroacetic acid chemical reconstruction, punch excision, or scar subcision. Scar severity was graded immediately before and after treatment with a photographic quartile scale and the ECCA scale. Serum levels of collagen III were measured in control individuals and in patients, before treatment, 1 month after the first treatment session, and 4 months after the final session. RESULTS: Circulating levels of collagen III were significantly higher in patients with postacne scarring (24.1 ± 12.5) before treatment than in control individuals (2.6 ± 0.8). Circulating levels of collagen in patients were significantly lower 4 months posttreatment (14.3 ± 8.1) than at baseline. The mean percentage change in serum collagen III was positively correlated with both the mean percentage improvement by photographic evaluation (r = .530, P < .000) and the mean percentage change in the ECCA scale (r = .632, P < .000). CONCLUSION: Circulating collagen III is a biomarker for improvement of postacne scarring following different therapies.
Asunto(s)
Acné Vulgar/terapia , Cicatriz/terapia , Colágeno Tipo III/sangre , Piel/patología , Acné Vulgar/complicaciones , Adolescente , Adulto , Biomarcadores/sangre , Estudios de Casos y Controles , Cáusticos/administración & dosificación , Cicatriz/sangre , Cicatriz/diagnóstico , Cicatriz/etiología , Colágeno Tipo III/metabolismo , Punción Seca , Femenino , Humanos , Hipertrofia/diagnóstico , Hipertrofia/etiología , Hipertrofia/terapia , Masculino , Fotograbar , Índice de Severidad de la Enfermedad , Piel/diagnóstico por imagen , Piel/efectos de los fármacos , Piel/metabolismo , Resultado del Tratamiento , Ácido Tricloroacético/administración & dosificación , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
Warts are common problems affecting adults and children. Multiple treatment options are available, but no single therapy stands out as uniformly effective. Propolis and Echinacea are relatively safe immunomodulators with antiviral properties. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of Propolis and Echinacea in treating different types of warts. In a single-blind, randomized, 3-months trial, 135 patients with different types of warts received oral Propolis, Echinacea, or placebo. In patients with plane and common warts treated with Propolis, cure was achieved in 75% and 73% of patients, respectively. These results were significantly better than those associated with Echinacea treatment or placebo. We conclude that Propolis is an effective and safe immunomodulating therapy for plane and common warts.