Background Recent research shows that lasers can inhibit fungal growth and that Nd：YAG 1064-nm lasers can penetrate as deep as the lower nail plate. The aim of this study was to observe the effect of a long-pulse Nd...Background Recent research shows that lasers can inhibit fungal growth and that Nd：YAG 1064-nm lasers can penetrate as deep as the lower nail plate. The aim of this study was to observe the effect of a long-pulse Nd：YAG 1064-nm laser on 154 nails of 33 patients with clinically and mycologically proven onychomycosis. Methods Thirty-three patients with 154 nails affected by onychomycosis were randomly assigned to two groups, with the 154 nails divided into three sub-groups （Ⅱ degree,Ⅲ degree, and IV degree） according to the Scoring Clinical Index of Onychomycosis. The 15 patients （78 nails） in group 1 were given eight sessions with a one-week interval, and the 18 patients （76 nails） in group 2 were given four sessions with a one-week interval. Results In group 1, the effective rates at 8 weeks, 16 weeks, and 24 weeks were 63%, 62%, and 51%, respectively, and the effective rates in group 2 were 68%, 67%, and 53% respectively. The treatment effect was not significantly different between any sub-group pair （P 〉0.05）. Conclusions Long pulse Nd：YAG 1064-nm laser was effective for onychomycosis. It is a simple and effective method without significant complications or side effects and is expected to become an alternative or replacement therapy for onychomycosis.展开更多
Background Trichophyton rubrum （T. rubrum） is the most common causative agent of dermatophytosis worldwide. In this study, we examined the effect of laser irradiation on the growth and morphology of T. rubrum. Metho...Background Trichophyton rubrum （T. rubrum） is the most common causative agent of dermatophytosis worldwide. In this study, we examined the effect of laser irradiation on the growth and morphology of T. rubrum. Methods Colonies of T. rubrum were isolated （one colony per plate）, and randomly assigned to 5 treatment groups： Q-switched 694 nm ruby laser treatment, long-pulsed Nd：YAG 1064 nm laser treatment, intense pulsed light （IPL） treatment, 308 nm excimer laser treatment and the blank control group without treatment. Standardized photographs were obtained from grown-up fungal plates prior to treatment. Colonies were then exposed to various wavelengths and fluences of laser light. To compare the growth of colonies, they were re-photographed under identical conditions three and six days post-treatment. To investigate the morphology of T. rubrum, scanning electron microscope （SEM） and transmission electron microscope （TEM） images were obtained from specimens exposed to 24 hours of laser treatment. Results Growth of T. rubrum colonies was significantly inhibited following irradiation by 694 nm Q-switched and 1064 nm long-pulsed Nd：YAG lasers. Other treatments exerted little or no effect. Q-switched laser irradiation exerted a stronger growth inhibitory effect than long-pulsed Nd：YAG laser irradiation. Following treatment by the Q-switched ruby laser system, T. rubrum hyphae became shrunken and deflated, and SEM images revealed rough, fractured hyphal surfaces, punctured with small destructive holes. TEM images showed that the hyphae were degenerating, as evidenced by the irregular shape of hyphae, rough and loose cell wall, and obscure cytoplasmic texture. Initially high electron density structure was visible in the cell; later, low-density structure appeared as a result of cytoplasmic dissolution. In contrast, the blank control group showed no obvious changes in morphology.展开更多
Background Mycobacterium abscessus （M. abscessus） can cause a variety of human infections, involving the lung, skin and soft tissues, and is generally believed to be acquired from environmental sources. The aim of t...Background Mycobacterium abscessus （M. abscessus） can cause a variety of human infections, involving the lung, skin and soft tissues, and is generally believed to be acquired from environmental sources. The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular diversity and antibiotic susceptibility of M. abscessus isolates as the basis for strategies to improve control and management of infection. Methods Seventy M. abscessus isolates from patients attending the Guangzhou Thoracic Hospital were identified from 2003 to 2005 by biochemical tests, gas chromatography, polymerase chain reaction （PCR）-restriction analysis （PRA） of heat shock protein gene hsp65, and sequencing of the quinolone resistance determining regions （QRDRs） of gyrA. Susceptibilities to six antibiotics were determined by micro-broth dilution. Isolates were genotyped using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA （RAPD） analysis. Results Most isolates （63/70; 90%） were susceptible to amikacin but rates of susceptibility to other antibiotics varied from moderate, clarithromycin （60%） and imipenem （43%）, to low for ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin （3%）, and 87% of isolates had intermediate susceptibility to cefoxitin. RAPD analysis showed that the 70 clinical isolates displayed 69 unique RAPD patterns. Conclusions The high genetic diversity of isolates suggests that they are not transmitted from person to person but, presumably, are acquired independently from environmental sources. M. abscessus isolates displayed variable levels of susceptibility to all antibiotics tested, other than amikacin, indicating a need for routine susceptibility testing to guide treatment.展开更多
文摘Background Recent research shows that lasers can inhibit fungal growth and that Nd：YAG 1064-nm lasers can penetrate as deep as the lower nail plate. The aim of this study was to observe the effect of a long-pulse Nd：YAG 1064-nm laser on 154 nails of 33 patients with clinically and mycologically proven onychomycosis. Methods Thirty-three patients with 154 nails affected by onychomycosis were randomly assigned to two groups, with the 154 nails divided into three sub-groups （Ⅱ degree,Ⅲ degree, and IV degree） according to the Scoring Clinical Index of Onychomycosis. The 15 patients （78 nails） in group 1 were given eight sessions with a one-week interval, and the 18 patients （76 nails） in group 2 were given four sessions with a one-week interval. Results In group 1, the effective rates at 8 weeks, 16 weeks, and 24 weeks were 63%, 62%, and 51%, respectively, and the effective rates in group 2 were 68%, 67%, and 53% respectively. The treatment effect was not significantly different between any sub-group pair （P 〉0.05）. Conclusions Long pulse Nd：YAG 1064-nm laser was effective for onychomycosis. It is a simple and effective method without significant complications or side effects and is expected to become an alternative or replacement therapy for onychomycosis.
文摘Background Trichophyton rubrum （T. rubrum） is the most common causative agent of dermatophytosis worldwide. In this study, we examined the effect of laser irradiation on the growth and morphology of T. rubrum. Methods Colonies of T. rubrum were isolated （one colony per plate）, and randomly assigned to 5 treatment groups： Q-switched 694 nm ruby laser treatment, long-pulsed Nd：YAG 1064 nm laser treatment, intense pulsed light （IPL） treatment, 308 nm excimer laser treatment and the blank control group without treatment. Standardized photographs were obtained from grown-up fungal plates prior to treatment. Colonies were then exposed to various wavelengths and fluences of laser light. To compare the growth of colonies, they were re-photographed under identical conditions three and six days post-treatment. To investigate the morphology of T. rubrum, scanning electron microscope （SEM） and transmission electron microscope （TEM） images were obtained from specimens exposed to 24 hours of laser treatment. Results Growth of T. rubrum colonies was significantly inhibited following irradiation by 694 nm Q-switched and 1064 nm long-pulsed Nd：YAG lasers. Other treatments exerted little or no effect. Q-switched laser irradiation exerted a stronger growth inhibitory effect than long-pulsed Nd：YAG laser irradiation. Following treatment by the Q-switched ruby laser system, T. rubrum hyphae became shrunken and deflated, and SEM images revealed rough, fractured hyphal surfaces, punctured with small destructive holes. TEM images showed that the hyphae were degenerating, as evidenced by the irregular shape of hyphae, rough and loose cell wall, and obscure cytoplasmic texture. Initially high electron density structure was visible in the cell; later, low-density structure appeared as a result of cytoplasmic dissolution. In contrast, the blank control group showed no obvious changes in morphology.
基金This work was supported by the grants from the ＂985＂ Program for the Construction of High Level University, the National Natural Science Foundation of China （No. 30901283） and ＂Senior Training Program of Beijing Health Bureau＂ （No. 2011-3-069）. The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
文摘Background Mycobacterium abscessus （M. abscessus） can cause a variety of human infections, involving the lung, skin and soft tissues, and is generally believed to be acquired from environmental sources. The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular diversity and antibiotic susceptibility of M. abscessus isolates as the basis for strategies to improve control and management of infection. Methods Seventy M. abscessus isolates from patients attending the Guangzhou Thoracic Hospital were identified from 2003 to 2005 by biochemical tests, gas chromatography, polymerase chain reaction （PCR）-restriction analysis （PRA） of heat shock protein gene hsp65, and sequencing of the quinolone resistance determining regions （QRDRs） of gyrA. Susceptibilities to six antibiotics were determined by micro-broth dilution. Isolates were genotyped using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA （RAPD） analysis. Results Most isolates （63/70; 90%） were susceptible to amikacin but rates of susceptibility to other antibiotics varied from moderate, clarithromycin （60%） and imipenem （43%）, to low for ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin （3%）, and 87% of isolates had intermediate susceptibility to cefoxitin. RAPD analysis showed that the 70 clinical isolates displayed 69 unique RAPD patterns. Conclusions The high genetic diversity of isolates suggests that they are not transmitted from person to person but, presumably, are acquired independently from environmental sources. M. abscessus isolates displayed variable levels of susceptibility to all antibiotics tested, other than amikacin, indicating a need for routine susceptibility testing to guide treatment.
