X-Message-Number: 26346
Date: Thu, 16 Jun 2005 19:22:55 -0700 (PDT)
From: Doug Skrecky <>
Subject: Skin test antigen injections may cure warts

[Speculation: Such injections may be able to cure a wide variety of solid
internal tumors as well.]

 Arch Dermatol. 2005 May;141(5):589-94.
    Intralesional immunotherapy of warts with mumps, Candida, and
Trichophyton skin test antigens: a single-blinded, randomized, and
controlled trial.
    BACKGROUND: Warts occur commonly in humans. Destructive modalities
are generally the first physician-administered therapy. Other treatment
options include immunotherapy. Intralesional immunotherapy using mumps,
Candida, or Trichophyton skin test antigens has proved efficacy in the
treatment of warts. OBJECTIVES: To determine rates of wart resolution in
response to injection of antigen alone, antigen plus interferon alfa-2b,
interferon alfa-2b alone, and normal saline; and to compare response
according to viral type, major histocompatibility complex antigens, and
peripheral blood mononuclear cell proliferation to autologous human
papillomavirus antigen before and after injection. DESIGN: Randomized,
single-blinded, placebo-controlled, clinical trial. SETTING: Medical
school-based dermatology department. PATIENTS: Two hundred thirty-three
patients clinically diagnosed as having 1 or more warts.Main Outcome
Measure Clinical resolution of warts in response to intralesional
immunotherapy. RESULTS: Responders were observed in all treatment arms,
but were significantly more likely to have received antigen (P<.001).
Resolution of distant untreated warts was observed, and was
significantly more likely in subjects receiving antigen (P<.001).
Interferon did not significantly enhance the response rate (P = .20) and
did not differ from normal saline (P = .65). No viral type or major
histocompatibility complex antigen correlated with response or lack of
response (P>.99 and P = .86, respectively). A positive peripheral blood
mononuclear cell proliferation assay result (2 times pretreatment
levels) was significantly more likely among responders (P = .002). While
there was no significant difference in response based on sex (P = .56),
older subjects (>40 years) were less likely to respond (P = .01).
CONCLUSIONS: Intralesional immunotherapy using injection of Candida,
mumps, or Trichophyton skin test antigens is an effective treatment for
warts, as indicated by significantly higher response rates and distant
response rates in subjects receiving antigen. Viral type and major
histocompatibility complex antigens did not seem to influence treatment
response. Response is accompanied by proliferation of peripheral blood
mononuclear cells to human papillomavirus antigens, suggesting that a
human papillomavirus-directed cell-mediated immune response plays a role
in wart resolution.

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