There
is an urgent need for ultrarapid testing regimens to detect
the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 [SARS-CoV-2] infections
in real-time within seconds to stop its spread. Current testing approaches
for this RNA virus focus primarily on diagnosis by RT-qPCR, which
is time-consuming, costly, often inaccurate, and impractical for general
population rollout due to the need for laboratory processing. The
latency until the test result arrives with the patient has led to
further virus spread. Furthermore, latest antigen rapid tests still
require 15–30 min processing time and are challenging to handle.
Despite increased polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-test and antigen-test
efforts, the pandemic continues to evolve worldwide. Herein, we developed
a superfast, reagent-free, and nondestructive approach of attenuated
total reflection Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy
with subsequent chemometric analysis toward the prescreening of virus-infected
samples. Contrived saliva samples spiked with inactivated γ-irradiated
COVID-19 virus particles at levels down to 1582 copies/mL generated
infrared (IR) spectra with a good signal-to-noise ratio. Predominant
virus spectral peaks are tentatively associated with nucleic acid
bands, including RNA. At low copy numbers, the presence of a virus
particle was found to be capable of modifying the IR spectral signature
of saliva, again with discriminating wavenumbers primarily associated
with RNA. Discrimination was also achievable following ATR-FTIR spectral
analysis of swabs immersed in saliva variously spiked with virus.
Next, we nested our test system in a clinical setting wherein participants
were recruited to provide demographic details, symptoms, parallel
RT-qPCR testing, and the acquisition of pharyngeal swabs for ATR-FTIR
spectral analysis. Initial categorization of swab samples into negative
versus positive COVID-19 infection was based on symptoms and PCR results
(
n
= 111 negatives and 70 positives). Following training
and validation (using
n
= 61 negatives and 20 positives)
of a genetic algorithm-linear discriminant analysis (GA-LDA) algorithm,
a blind sensitivity of 95% and specificity of 89% was achieved. This
prompt approach generates results within 2 min and is applicable in
areas with increased people traffic that require sudden test results
such as airports, events, or gate controls.
The common consequences of radiotherapy (RT) to the head and neck are oral mucositis, xerostomia, and severe pain. The aim of this study was to verify how laser phototherapy (LPT) used for oral mucositis could influence xerostomia symptoms and hyposalivation of patients undergoing RT. Patients were divided into two groups: 12 individuals receiving three laser irradiations per week (G1) and 10 patients receiving one laser irradiation per week (G2). A diode laser (660 nm, 6 J/cm(2), 0.24 J, 40 mW) was used until completely healing of the lesions or the end of the RT. At the first and last laser sessions, whole resting and stimulated saliva were collected, and questionnaires were administered. According to Wilcoxon and Student statistical test, xerostomia for G1 was lower than for G2 (p < 0.05), and salivary flow rate was no different before and after RT, except for stimulated collection of G2, which was lower (p < 0.05). Our results suggest that LPT can be beneficial as an auxiliary therapy for hypofunction of salivary glands.
Oral lesions related to the novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been increasingly described; however, clinical and epidemiological information is still scant. Although a diversity of therapeutic strategies for the management of these lesions are present in the literature, one can note a lack of standardization and doubtful effectiveness. Thus, the present study aimed to report a series of cases in which a combination of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) and photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) was used for orofacial lesions in patients suffering from COVID-19. It was noted, in all cases, a marked improvement in tissue repair and pain relief within a few days; moreover, the patients recovered their orofacial functions satisfactorily. Based on the present series of cases and having in mind the conspicuous lack of information on the different aspects of COVID-19, the protocol which combined aPDT with PMBT seemed to be effective in the management of COVID-19-related orofacial lesions.
In this study, clinical, biochemical and histological analysis were used to compare different phototherapies, including LED, low and high-power laser (HPL) for the treatment of chemotherapy (CT)-induced oral mucositis (OM). One-hundred-fifty hamsters were divided into five groups: C: control; CH: CT/OM induction; L: CT/OM induction and treatment with LED (635 nm, 1.2 J), HL: CT/OM induction and treatment with HPL (808 nm, 10 J), LL: CT/OM induction and treatment with low-level laser therapy (LLLT) (660 nm, 1.2 J). OM was induced by scratches performed on check pouch mucosa after two injections of 5-Fluorouracil. The experiment lasted 10 days and OM was analyzed by specific clinical scales on days 5, 7 and 10. The animals were euthanized and the cheek pouch mucosa removed for biochemical (TNF-α concentration) and histological (light microscopy) analysis. After statistical analysis, the authors' results showed LED and LLLT therapies were efficient treatments for OM, decreasing TNF-α concentration on day 7 (p < 0.05) and completely healing the mucosa on day 10. HPL showed no interference in final healing of OM. According to the methodology used and the results obtained in the present study, LLLT and LED therapies were the best choices to decrease the severity of OM, accelerating tissue repair and decreasing the inflammatory process. Clinical evaluation of OM in Groups CH, LL, L and HL and their respective arrangement of phototherapy treatments at different time intervals (5, 7 and 10 days).
LI should be explored as an auxiliary therapy for control of complications of diabetes because it can alter the carbohydrate and lipid metabolism of rats with diabetes.
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