S. Ashfaq Ahmad’s research while affiliated with University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and other places

BACKGROUND Genital herpes simplex virus infection is unique to humans, and is one of the commonest sexually transmitted diseases worldwide. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this double-blind placebo-controlled study was to determine the clinical efficacy and tolerability of Aloe vera extract 0.5% in a hydrophilic cream to cure patients afflicted with the first episodes of genital herpes. METHODS Preselected patients (n=60), aged 18–40 years (mean 23.6), with culture-confirmed diagnosis of herpes simplex genitalis, harboring 738 lesions (mean 12.3), were randomized to active or placebo treatment. Patients entered the study within 7 days (mean 4.1) of the onset of the lesions. Each patient was provided with a precoded 40-g tube, containing placebo/active preparation with instructions on self-application of the trial medication to their lesions three times daily for 5 consecutive days (maximum 15 topical applications per week). To assess the clinical efficacy and other beneficial effects patients were examined twice weekly and reepithelialized lesions with some residual erythema were considered as healed. Patients whose lesions resolved during the active treatment period (1 or 2 weeks) were spared further medication, and were requested to report to the clinic as scheduled for review and recurrence control. Empty tubes were collected from the remaining patients, and similarly coded replacement tubes were given to continue the treatment (in total 102 tubes were used). RESULTS The group treated with Aloe vera extract cream had both significantly shorter mean time to healing than the placebo group (4.9 days vs 12 days; P CONCLUSION The clinical results suggest that Aloe vera extract (0.5%) in a hydrophilic cream is more efficacious than placebo, thus supporting the benefits of Aloe vera therapy as an alternative, reliable and effective treatment to cure the first episodes of genital herpes in men.

The purpose of this double-blind, placebo-controlled study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy and tolerability of topical Aloe vera extract 0.5% in a hydrophilic cream to cure patients with psoriasis vulgaris. Sixty patients (36M/24F) aged 18–50 years (mean 25.6) with slight to moderate chronic plaque-type psoriasis and PASI (Psoriasis Area and Severity Index) scores between 4.8 and 16.7 (mean 9.3) were enrolled and randomized to two parallel groups. The mean duration of the disease prior to enrolment was 8.5 years (range 1–21). Patients were provided with a precoded 100 g tube, placebo or active (with 0.5%Aloe vera extract), and they self-administered trial medication topically (without occlusion) at home 3 times daily for 5 consecutive days per week (maximum 4 weeks active treatment). Patients were examined on a weekly basis and those showing a progressive reduction of lesions, desquamation followed by decreased erythema, infiltration and lowered PASI score were considered healed. The study was scheduled for 16 weeks with 12 months of follow-up on a monthly basis. The treatment was well tolerated by all the patients, with no adverse drug-related symptoms and no dropouts. By the end of the study, the Aloe vera extract cream had cured 25/30 patients (83.3%) compared to the placebo cure rate of 2/30 (6.6%) (P<0.001) resulting in significant clearing of the psoriatic plaques (328/396 (82.8%) vs placebo 28/366 (7.7%), P<0.001) and a decreased PASI score to a mean of 2.2. The findings of this study suggest that topically applied Aloe vera extract 0.5% in a hydrophilic cream is more effective than placebo, and has not shown toxic or any other objective side-effects. Therefore, the regimen can be considered a safe and alternative treatment to cure patients suffering from psoriasis.