ORIGINAL ARTICLE   

Esperienze Dermatologiche 2018 March;20(1):1-4

DOI: 10.23736/S1128-9155.18.00458-2

Copyright © 2018 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Efficacy of a topical treatment with carrageenan and 7BVP of anogenital HPV lesions

Daniele RIZZO ✉, Clara ZICHICHI, Leonardo ZICHICHI

Dermatology Unit, Sant’Antonio Abate Hospital, Erice, Trapani, Italy

BACKGROUND: Treatment of human papilloma virus (HPV) cutaneous-mucosal infection of the anogenital region usually represents a hard challenge for clinicians, because available therapies are subject to the recurrence post-treatment of the lesions. Available therapies can be both locally applied by the patient itself (imiquimod cream, green tea leaf extract ointment, podophyllotoxin) or applied by clinicians at the medical clinic (trichloroacetic acid, interferons) and physical therapy (cryotherapy, diathermy, surgical excision). The search for new therapeutic possibilities led the attention to carrageenan, microbicide that exerts its action blocking the HPV binding proteins utilized to bind to cell surface, and to 7BVP, bacterial lysate obtained by crushing and processing of Propionibacterium acnes, that acts by stimulating the endothelial-reticulum system, activating the complement cascade, inducing interferon production and restoring the immunocompetence in immunosuppressed patient.
METHODS: We performed a phase 3 double-blind clinical study on 23 patients both male and female, aged from 18 to 55 years, affected by HPV related mucosal-cutaneous genital lesions, to evaluate the efficacy of carrageenan alone versus carrageenan + 7BVP topic gel applied once a day on the affected areas.
RESULTS: Results showed that a combination of carrageenan and 7BVP was more effective in treating anogenital HPV lesions carrageenan alone since the first month of therapy. It also reduced the recurrence rate after 3 months.
CONCLUSIONS: The association of carrageenan and 7BVP boosts the immune-mediated response against HPV and reduces the strength of infection.

KEY WORDS: Papillomavirus infections - Warts - Carrageenan - Red algae - Chitosan - Condylomata acuminata