Impact of low-level laser therapy on the dynamics of pressure ulcer-induced changes considering an infectious agent and cathelicidin LL-37 concentration: a preliminary study.
Brauncajs. Małgorzata M; Ksiąszczyk. Krzysztof K; Lewandowska-Polak. Anna A; Gorzela. Katarzyna K; Grzegorczyk. Janina J
Key Findings
- Low‑level laser therapy (LLLT) was applied to six patients with stage II‑III pressure ulcers for two weeks.
- Serum LL‑37 concentrations increased significantly from baseline to the end of the treatment period.
- The study could not conclusively link LLLT to improved ulcer healing or bacterial clearance due to limited data.
Practical Outcomes
- While LLLT may boost the antimicrobial peptide LL‑37, there’s not enough evidence to recommend it as a reliable wound‑healing protocol for biohackers. More robust trials are needed before incorporating laser therapy into self‑directed health regimens.
Summary
A tiny study looked at whether shining low‑level laser light on pressure sores changes the body’s natural antimicrobial peptide LL‑37 and helps heal the wound, especially when bacteria are present. They saw LL‑37 levels rise after two weeks of laser treatment, but they couldn't clearly show that the sores healed better, and the sample size was very small.
Abstract
Low-level laser therapy is used in managing chronic wounds including pressure ulcers. Less is known about its impact on the healing process if an inhibitive agent e.g. bacterial infection takes place. Modulating non-specific immunity processes might eliminate bacteria if laser therapy is applied. To investigate the impact of low-level laser therapy on pressure ulcer dynamics considering an infectious agent and cathelicidin LL-37 concentration. The study comprised 6 patients with pressure ulcers ranging from stage II to III in Torrance classification and 12 patients without pressure ulcers. Venous blood sample and decubitus wound swab were taken - in study groups A at baseline and after 2 weeks; in control group B once - at a specific point of time. The swabs served for species identification. Drug susceptibility of isolated pathogens and cathelicidin LL-37 in serum concentration were measured. In study group A, the following bacteria predominantly occurred: <i>S. aureus</i>, <i>E. faecalis, P. mirabilis, P. aeruginosa,</i> while in control group B, excluding one MRSA case, <i>S. hominis, S. epidermidis, D. nishinomiyaensis, A. haemolyticus</i> (physiological flora) were present. HLGR resistance mechanisms were detected when analyzing drug susceptibility panels. Study group A findings demonstrated a statistically significant difference between the levels of cathelicidin LL-37 concentration at baseline and at the end. There is insufficient information to accurately determine the effect of LLLT on pressure ulcer dynamics considering an infectious agent. These effects may occur if innate immunity processes are modulated so that laser therapy might eliminate bacteria indirectly.
Study Information
pubmed
2018
2018-11-08T00:00:00.000Z
10.5114/ada.2018.77609
8
16