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Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT), particularly when combined with a static magnetic field (PBMT-sMF), is a promising non-pharmacological approach for managing musculoskeletal disorders. However, high-quality evidence for its efficacy in lateral epicondylitis remains limited.
The study aims to investigate the effectiveness of PBMT-sMF vs placebo in reducing pain, improving function and modulating inflammatory markers in individuals with lateral epicondylitis.
Multicentre, randomised, triple-blinded, placebo-controlled trial.
Three outpatient physiotherapy clinics in Brazil.
50 adults (18–50 years) with unilateral lateral epicondylitis and baseline pain ≥50 on the visual analogue scale (VAS).
Participants received either active PBMT-sMF (n=25) or placebo (n=25), 2 times per week for 3 weeks. PBMT-sMF involved multi-wavelength irradiation at 4 epicondyle sites (60 s; 27.1 J/site). The placebo group underwent the same procedure without active irradiation.
The primary outcome was degree of pain rating (VAS). Secondary outcomes included forearm disability (Patient-Rated Tennis Elbow Evaluation, PRTEE), grip strength, serum tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels and treatment satisfaction. Assessments were conducted at baseline, post-treatment (3 weeks) and at 4-week follow-up.
PBMT-sMF yielded a higher responder rate (defined as the proportion of participants achieving at least a 30% reduction in pain intensity relative to baseline) than placebo (72% vs 40%, p=0.045), with a clinically and statistically significant between-group difference. Compared with placebo, the PBMT-sMF group showed significantly greater reductions in pain intensity both at the end of treatment (51.4±19.8 vs 36.9±22.6; p=0.0223) and at follow-up (37.4±24.1 vs 20.3±21.2; p=0.0049). TNF-α levels also decreased significantly in the PBMT-sMF group compared with placebo at both time points (p
PBMT-sMF significantly reduced pain intensity and TNF-α levels, suggesting an anti-inflammatory mechanism. Although functional outcomes were not improved, PBMT-sMF may be a valuable short-term, non-invasive option for lateral epicondylitis pain management.
NCT04829734 on ClinicalTrials.gov
by Marta Garrigós, Mario Garrido, María José Ruiz-López, María José García-López, Jesús Veiga, Sergio Magallanes, Ramón Soriguer, Isabel Moreno-Indias, Jordi Figuerola, Josué Martínez-de la Puente
West Nile virus (WNV) is a flavivirus naturally circulating between mosquito vectors and birds, occasionally infecting horses and humans and causing epidemiologically relevant outbreaks. In Spain, the first big WNV outbreak was recorded in 2020, resulting in 77 people infected and 8 fatalities, most of them in southern Spain. Culex perexiguus was identified as the primary vector of WNV maintaining its enzootic circulation of the virus. Growing evidence highlights the role of mosquito microbiota as a key component determining the vectorial capacity of mosquitoes, largely contributing to disease epidemiology. Here, we develop, to our knowledge, the first identification of the microbiota composition of this mosquito vector under natural conditions and test for the potential relationship between mosquito microbiota composition and WNV infection. To do so, we collected mosquitoes in a natural area of southern Spain during the 2020 WNV outbreak and identified the microbiota composition of mosquitoes using a 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding approach. The microbiota of Cx. perexiguus was dominated by the phylum Proteobacteria. The most abundant families were Burkholderiaceae and Erwiniaceae, including the genera Burkholderia, Erwinia, and Pantoea. The genus Wolbachia, which use to dominate the microbiota of Cx. pipiens and negatively interact with WNV according to the literature, had a low prevalence and relative abundance in Cx. perexiguus and its abundance did not differ between WNV-positive and WNV-negative mosquito pools. The microbiota diversity and composition of Cx. perexiguus were not significantly related to the WNV infection status. These results provide the first identification of the mosquito microbiota in an endemic area of WNV circulation in Spain.
FreshRSS 