Antifungal Agents and Infrared Thermotherapy Alone or in Combination in the Treatment of Sporotrichosis

Summary

Sporotrichosis is a chronic granulomatous mycosis caused by sporothrix complex. The course of sporotrichosis is always prolonged and even life-threatening, the treatment of this disease in an important scientific problem to be solved. The investigators previously found the predominance of subtype M2 macrophage which play an anti-inflammatory role in the lesions of sporotrichosis, the predominance of M2 macrophage may be responsible for the persistence of sporotrichosis; the investigators also found that local hyperthermia is effective in the treatment of sporotrichosis and hyperthermia treatment can activate the CRAC calcium channel in macrophages which triggers pro-inflammatory type M1 polarization and subsequent killing of sporothrix, however, the mechanism still calls for further investigation. The investigators hypothesize that hyperthermia leads to the activation of CRAC channels resulting in profound Ca2+ influx and Ca2+ upregulates NLRP3 inflammasome expression through inducing Nrf2 activation, then NLRP3 overexpression triggers M1 polarization and subsequent killing of sporothrix. Furthermore, the activation of Nrf2 upregulates STIM1 expression which forms a positive feedback for M1 type polarization of macrophages and further subsequent killing of sporothrix. The purpose of this project is to identify the hypothesis that hyperthermia could treat sporotrichosis by promoting pro-inflammatory type M1 polarization in macrophages, the mechanism by which hyperthermia could treat sporotrichosis is local hyperthermia could led to STIM1/CRAC calcium channel activation mediated calcium ions/Nrf2/NLRP3 induced M1 macrophages polarization and subsequent killing of sporothrix. The hypothesis will be identified at the cellular level, at the animal model level and at the clinical specimens level. The investigators believe that the project will guide the application of hyperthermia in the treatment of sporotrichosis and provide a new basis of theory and practice after the investigators achieving these goals.

Conditions

• Sporotrichosis

Interventions

DRUG

Itraconazole

oral itraconazole (children less than 15 years old 6 mg/kg/d; adult patients: 200 mg/d) for a total course of 3-6 months

DEVICE

Infrared thermotherapy apparatus

infrared hyperthermia device for 3 consecutive days (times / day), each treatment for 30 minutes After two weeks (14 days), the lesions of the same target were treated continuously for 2 days (times per day), and then once a week for 2 consecutive times, the method was the same as before. After 7 times of treatment, the study physician decided whether to continue treatment n times after 1-2 weeks (n ≥ 0) according to the recovery of the subjects.

OTHER

Itraconazole and Infrared thermotherapy apparatus

oral itraconazole (children less than 15 years old 6 mg/kg/d; adult patients: 200 mg/d) for a total course of 3-6 months, while infrared hyperthermia device for 3 consecutive days (times / day), each treatment for 30 minutes After two weeks (14 days), the lesions of the same target were treated continuously for 2 days (times per day), and then once a week for 2 consecutive times, the method was the same as before. After 7 times of treatment, the study physician decided whether to continue treatment n times after 1-2 weeks (n ≥ 0) according to the recovery of the subjects.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• First Hospital of China Medical University

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2024-03-15

Primary Completion

2026-12-31

Completion

2026-12-31

Countries

• China

Study Locations