Botulinum toxin type A preparations have been actively used in various branches of medicine for many years. Clinical observations and scientific studies have repeatedly confirmed their effectiveness and safety. In aesthetic medicine, botulinum toxin injections are used primarily to smooth out mimic wrinkles on the face. In most cases, after such an injection, the patient can see an almost instant result, but there are extremely rare cases when the use of botulinum toxin is ineffective. Why is this happening – find out at estet-portal.com.
Why Botulinum Toxin Injections Can Be Completely Ineffective
When a doctor notes the lack of effect after an injection of botulinum toxin – first of all, he will suspect a violation of the conditions for storing and transporting drugs. Another common cause may be an insufficient dose of the drug or an inaccurate hit in the muscle during the injection. But in some patients, the doctor excludes all possible factors, and the effect of the introduction of drugs is still absent. Researchers around the world have recently taken up this issue.
Scientists have found out that the reason for the lack of effectiveness of injections of botulinum toxin preparations may be the presence of antibodies to it in the patient.
Botulinum toxin injection failure:
- why the body can produce antibodies to botulinum toxin;
- the essence of the study of the failure of botulinum toxin injections;
- results of a study of the failure of botulinum toxin injections.
Why the body can produce antibodies to botulinum toxin
The presence of antibodies to botulinum toxin A in the patient's body is one of the main reasons for the ineffectiveness of botulinum toxin injections. Botulinum toxin A is a mixture of various proteins, and the active component of the complex is a neurotoxin. It is very sensitive to the influence of environmental factors, which can lead to the loss of its biological activity, and thus to a decrease or even complete absence of a clinical result. Currently, botulinum toxin A preparations contain a minimal amount of protein agents, which significantly reduces their immunogenic activity, but the problem has not yet been completely eliminated.
The essence of the study of the failure of botulinum toxin injections
One of the latest studies on the ineffectiveness of botulinum toxin injections was conducted at the Institute of Experimental Medicine in St. Petersburg. The study involved 237 people who were divided into 3 groups:
- 1st group – 39 people who received low-dose botulinum toxin injections for aesthetic indications;
- 2nd group – 44 neurological patients who received high-dose botulinum toxin preparations for therapeutic purposes;
- 3rd group – 154 people in the control group who applied to medical institutions for various reasons.
By means of a passive hemagglutination test using purified botulinum toxoid, antibodies to botulinum toxin A were determined in the blood serum of all subjects.
Results of a study on the failure of botulinum toxin injections
Analyzing the results of the study, the scientists obtained the following data:
- 1st group of patients: 12.8% of people did not detect antibodies to botulinum toxin, 87.2% did;
- Group 2: 20.5% did not have antibodies to botulinum toxin A, 79.5% did;
- 3rd group: in the blood of 82.5% of people, antibodies to botulinum toxin A were not detected, and only in 17.5% of patients they were detected.
Scientists have demonstrated that the formation of antibodies to botulinum toxin A can occur throughout a person's life, and increases sharply against the background of botulinum therapy.
The results of the studies also found that the higher the dose of the drug the patient receives, the less pronounced the clinical effect will be over time. That is why, in order to obtain a good and long-term effect of botulinum therapy, it is necessary to inject botulinum toxin with the lowest effective doses of the drug for a particular patient.
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