USE OF MOUTHWASH AND DENTIFRICE CONTAINING AN ANTIMICROBIAL PHTHALOCYANINE DERIVATIVE FOR THE REDUCTION OF CLINICAL SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19: A RANDOMIZED TRIPLE-BLIND CLINICAL TRIAL.

PURPOSE: This clinical trial aimed to evaluate the use of mouthwash and dentifrice containing an antimicrobial phthalocyanine derivative (APD) to reduce the clinical symptoms in patients with COVID-19. METHODS: This randomized, triple-blind clinical trial enrolled 134 patients aged 18 years or older who underwent COVID-19 testing through the use of nasopharyngeal swab RT-qPCR in a reference center for the diagnosis of COVID-19, had no clinical contraindications to mouthwash and gargle, and had access to cell phones with communication applications. According to the use of a mouthwash and dentifrice containing antimicrobial phthalocyanine derivatives (APD), patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to the APD or non-APD (control) group. All participants were instructed to floss twice a day, brush teeth for 2 minutes 3 times a day, and gargle/rinse (5 mL) for 1 min/3 times a day for 7 days. An online questionnaire was sent to collect data on the clinical symptoms of COVID-19 3 times: T0 (baseline before using the oral hygiene products), T3 (3 days after), and T7 (7 days after). The investigators, patients, and outcome assessors were blinded to group assignment. The Mann-Whitney, Chi-Square, Fisher's exact, and Cochran's tests were used according to the nature of the variables studied, with the level of significance set at P < .05. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference was found in the prevalence of symptoms between groups at baseline. A statistically significant reduction in clinical symptoms was found in the control group (fatigue, shortness of breath, hoarse voice, sore throat, nasal congestion, and chest pain) and APD group (cough, fatigue, shortness of breath, hyposmia/anosmia, dysgeusia, hoarse voice, sore throat, nasal congestion, chest pain, diarrhea, and irritability/confusion) during the follow-up period. There were statistically significant differences, with a higher prevalence of symptoms in the control group at T3 and T7. Dysgeusia, sore throat, and irritability/confusion were less prevalent in the APD group at T3, and shortness of breath, hyposmia/anosmia, dysgeusia, hoarse voice, sore throat, diarrhea, and irritability/confusion were more prevalent in the control group at T7. CONCLUSIONS: Based on this methodology, the results demonstrated that the regular use of mouthwash and dentifrice-containing APD had a positive impact on the clinical symptoms, as reported by patients with COVID-19.

Resposta imune humoral na paracoccidioidomicose experimental em camundongos ddY / Humoral immune response in experimental ddY mice paracoccidioidomycosis

A paracoccidioidomicose (PCM) é uma micose sistêmica, restrita à América Latina, com maior incidência noBrasil. O camundongo ddY tem sido empregado como modelo murino de PCM e, no entanto, não há informaçõesa respeito da resposta imune desse animal frente à infecção. O presente estudo tem como objetivo avaliar aresposta imune humoral específica para o principal antígeno, gp43, do fungo Paracoccidioides brasiliensis,em camundongos ddY infectados com a cepa virulenta Pb 18. Foram realizadas análises da antigenemia ehistopatológico em vários órgãos e em diferentes tempos pós-infecção. Os resultados obtidos demonstraramaumento nos níveis de IgG anti-gp43 nos dias 14, 17, 21, 24, 28 e 56 pós-infecção e aumento no nível de gp43solúvel aos 28 dias pós-infecção. As células fúngicas foram detectadas em todos os órgãos analisados(cérebro, coração, pulmão, fígado, baço e rim) e em todos os períodos. As lesões granulomatosas tornaramsepredominantes 14 dias pós-infecção. Os resultados evidenciaram que o camundongo ddY produz respostaimune humoral frente ao principal antígeno de P. brasiliensis, apresentando-se elevado até 56 dias pósinfecção.A redução do nível de gp43 solúvel na fase crônica, supostamente devido ao início do controle dainfecção, requer estudos complementares adicionais.

Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a systemic mycosis, restrict to Latin America, with higher incidence inBrazil. ddY mice have been used as experimental PCM model, although there is no data regarding immuneresponse. The aim of the present study was evaluated specific humoral response against the main specificantigen of the fungal Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, the gp43, in ddY mice infected with virulent Pb 18.Antigenemia analysis and histophatological exam in several organs were performed in different time post-infection The results showed increased levels of anti-gp43 IgG on days 14, 17, 21, 24, 28 and 56 post-infectionand increased levels of soluble gp-43 on day 28 post-infection. The fungal cells were detected in all organsanalyzed (brain, heart, lung, liver, spleen and kidney) in all investigated periods. The granulomatous lesionsbecame predominant 14 days after infection. The results evidence that ddY mice produce humoral immuneresponse to main P. brasiliensis antigen, with high levels until 56 days after infection. Further studies areneeded to show that reduction of soluble gp43 in chronic phase correlates with infection control.