Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36881082›Full record

Trial reportIn vivo (Athens, Greece)

Is Balneotherapy Protective Against Oxidative Stress? A Pilot Study.

Agnes Szenczi, Ivan Peter, Nora Nusser, Zeno Ajtay, Katalin Szendi, Karoly Berenyi, Zoltan Horvath-Szalai, Balazs Szirmay, Andras Sumegi, Adrienn Hanzel and 1 more

Open access · diamondAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in In vivo (Athens, Greece). The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.8field-weighted citation impact, top 15% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Challenges of blinding in clinical balneology trials: a scoping review.BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2025
    Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Agnes SzencziDepartment of Public Health Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
Ivan PeterHarkány Spa Hospital, Harkány, Hungary.
Nora NusserHarkány Spa Hospital, Harkány, Hungary.
Zeno AjtayHarkány Spa Hospital, Harkány, Hungary.
Katalin SzendiDepartment of Public Health Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary; katalin.szendi@pte.hu.
Karoly BerenyiDepartment of Public Health Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
Zoltan Horvath-SzalaiDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
Balazs SzirmayDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
Andras SumegiDepartment of Public Health Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
Adrienn HanzelDepartment of Public Health Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
Balazs NemethDepartment of Public Health Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
University of Pecs · HU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

aimThis study aimed to research the effects of Harkány healing water on oxidative stress. The study was performed in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind setup. PATIENTS AND

methodsTwenty patients with psoriasis who underwent a 3-week-long inward balneotherapy-based rehabilitation were enrolled. Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score and Malondialdehyde (MDA) - a marker of oxidative stress - were determined, on admission and before discharge. Patients were treated with dithranol.

resultsThe mean PASI score - determined on admission and before discharge - decreased significantly after the 3-week-long rehabilitation 8.17 vs. 3.51 (p<0.001). The baseline MDA value of patients with psoriasis was significantly higher compared to controls (3.0±3.5 vs. 8.4±7.4) (p=0.018). MDA levels of patients receiving placebo water increased significantly compared to MDA levels of patients receiving healing water (p=0.049).

conclusionThe effectiveness of dithranol resides in the formation of reactive oxygen species. No increased oxidative stress was found in the patients treated with healing water, thus healing water seems to be protective against oxidative stress. However, further research is needed to confirm these preliminary results.

Indexed as

BalneologyPsoriasisAnthralinHumansOxidative StressPilot ProjectsWaterAnthralinWaterbalneotherapydithranolmalondialdehydeoxidative stressPsoriasisrehabilitation

Identifiers

PMID36881082
PMCPMC10026676
OpenAlexW4323347759

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.