title: Effects of weekly LED therapy at 625 nm on the treatment of chronic lower ulcers.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of LED therapy associated with compression therapy on chronic venous leg ulcers (CVUs). The study included CVU patients (n = 17, eight men) who were eligible for Unna's boot treatment. Ulcers were treated on a weekly basis with either LED therapy (625 nm, 4 J/cm(2)) and an Unna's boot (LED ulcers, n = 14) or a placebo treatment and an Unna's boot (control ulcers, n = 14). The total surface area of the ulcers, the relative ulcer area, and the healing rate were recorded over a period of 30 weeks. Ulcer exudates were collected for determination of local tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) levels. The total area was not significantly different between the LED and control ulcers (P > 0.05, Mann-Whitney U test) throughout the study. However, the relative area indicated that non-healing treatment resistant ulcers (n = 6) persisted in the control group after 19 weeks (P < 0.05, Mann-Whitney U Test). No differences in median healing rate were observed (hazard ratio 0.89, CI 95%: 0.40-1.98) between LED (15 weeks) and control ulcers (19.5 weeks). No differences in TNF-α levels were detected (P > 0.05, Mann-Whitney U test). The results suggest that LED therapy improved the effectiveness of the Unna's boot since no refractory ulcer was observed in the LED group after 19 weeks. However, LED therapy did not alter the local secretion of TNF-α nor accelerate wound healing.
authors.affiliation: Health Sciences Center, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil, fisio.claudia@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Cláudia Patrícia Cardoso Martins
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Siqueira
authors.forename: Solange
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: de Paula Ramos
authors.forename: Cynthia A A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Gobbi
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shigaki
authors.forename: Roberto K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Kashimoto
authors.forename: Emerson José
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Venâncio
authors.forename: Dari
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: de Oliveira Toginho Filho
authors.forename: André G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Castaldin
authors.forename: Alan S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Felinto
authors.forename: Francisco Pereira
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Ricardo B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Ivan Frederico Lupiano
authors.initials: IF
authors.lastname: Dias
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007871:Leg Ulcer / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010789:Phototherapy; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000528:radiation effects
chemical_list: C439524:TNF protein, human; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha