Efficacy of complex herbal compound of Echinacea angustifolia (Imoviral® Junior) in recurrent upper respiratory tract infections during pediatric age: preliminary results.

AIM: Among pediatric population the recurrent upper respiratory tract infections are very common. Several phytotherapies are been proposed as support therapies and, in particular, the efficacy of Echinacea angustifolia is controversial. This paper presents an evaluation of a new herbal compound in the treatment of recurrent upper respiratory tract infections in a pediatric cohort. METHODS: An immunostimulant herbal compound of Echinacea angustifolia, Arabinogalactan, Acerola (Vitamin C), Beta- Glucan e Zinc (Imoviral® Junior) was given to 37 children affected by recurrent pharyngotonsillitis or otitis media. RESULTS: The mean number of inflammatory episodes (i.e. tonsillitis or otitis media) during 6 months before treatment was 3±2.19, during the 6 months following treatment initiation it was 1±0.93 (P=0.04). After the complete treatment, 77% of children reported an improvement of chronic inflammatory in frequency of acute episodes. The total score of a questionnaire about life quality is improved (P=0.04). Finally, none collateral effects was occurred. CONCLUSION: The herbal compound of echinacea, beta-glucan, vitamin c, arabinoglactan and zinc (Imoviral® Junior) can improve the quality of life in pediatric patients affected by recurrent pharyngotonsillitis and otitis media without contralateral effects.

Are results of tinnitus retraining therapy maintained over time? 18-month follow-up after completion of therapy.

Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) is a useful treatment for tinnitus. The aim of this study was to evaluate the results obtained after 18 months of TRT as well as 18 months after completion of therapy, i.e. 36 months after initiation of TRT. Forty-five subjects suffering from an idiopathic tinnitus with or without hyperacusis for at least 6 months were recruited. There were significant improvements during therapy (p < 0.001) and the mean Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) was lowered by more than 20 points. These improvements persisted 18 months after treatment completion. Furthermore, the percentage of patients reporting the disappearance of their difficulties in various activities (relaxation, concentration, sleep, social relations and work) increased continuously after treatment completion. TRT improved self-perceived disability induced by chronic tinnitus for a long time after the end of therapy.

Narrowband UVB phototherapy in vitiligo: evaluation of results in 53 patients.

AIM: Narrowband UVB (NBUVB)phototherapy has been used for vitiligo for years, but today there are no standardized protocols of treatment and follow-up data. A long-term study on 53 patients with localized or diffuse vitiligo is presented with the aim at improving the data availability in the literature. METHODS: Phototherapy was administered two times a week on non-consecutive days; the treatment was continued for one year. The mean total dose administered was 201.28 J/cm2.The response to phototherapy was expressed as percentage of repigmentation: a repigmentation greater than 75% was considered excellent, a repigmentation between 74% and 50% good, a repigmentation between 49% and 25% moderate, a repigmentation less than 24% mild. In case of absence of repigmentation, the patient was judged as non-responder RESULTS: Three point eight percent of patients showed excellent response, 32.05% good response, 32.05% moderate response, 28.3% mild response, while the remaining 3.8% was not responsive. According to statistical analysis best responses, were observed in non-acral areas (P<0.001), in patients with recent vitiligo (P=0.003), in patients with negative family history for vitiligo (P=0.038), and in those not exposed to previous therapies (P=0.005). In 36 patients a mean follow-up of 19.78 months was obtained. CONCLUSION: NBUVB phototherapy is useful and safe for vitiligo, but in the future it will be necessary to compare results of different studies using the same treatment protocols and to obtain data of series endowed with an adequate follow-up.

Monoclonal antibody to fibulin-1 generated by genetic immunization.

Fibulin-1 (Fbln-1) is an extracellular matrix (ECM) and plasma glycoprotein. Considering the growing evidence indicating that Fbln-1 plays a role in cancer we sought to develop monospecific antibodies to better facilitate further studies of the function of Fbln-1 in breast cancer. Using a plasmid expression vector encoding full-length human Fbln-1D as an immunogen and CpG oligodeoxyribonucleotides as adjuvant a monoclonal antibody (MAb) against Fbln-1 was produced. This MAb, designated MEM-2 was of IgM isotype and reacted with bacterially expressed Fbln-1. Furthermore, MEM-2 reacted with Fbln-1 expressed in the ECM released by cultured human breast carcinoma SKBR-3 cells in ELISA, and also with Fbln-1 present in SKBR-3 cell extract in immunoprecipitation and Western blotting. MEM-2 also reacted with Fbln-1 in human breast carcinoma specimens. These findings illustrate the utility of genetic immunization as a means of generating monoclonal antibodies to tumor-related ECM proteins. MEM-2 represents a useful new tool for the study of Fbln-1 in breast cancer.