Immunotherapy using purified protein derivative in the treatment of warts: An open uncontrolled trial.

Saoji, Vikrant; Lade, Nitin R.; Gadegone, Rutuja; Bhat, Arun

<bold>Background: </bold>Warts are known to clear spontaneously with the development of cell-mediated immunity (CMI) to the virus. Purified protein derivative (PPD) of tuberculin bacilli has been used as a non-specific stimulant of CMI to achieve this outcome.<bold>Aim: </bold>To study the effect of PPD in the treatment of warts.<bold>Methods: </bold>Patients with difficult-to-treat warts were selected for immunotherapy. Each patient received 2.5 TU of PPD intralesionally in a few warts. A total of four sessions were given at 2 weekly intervals and patients were followed up for 6 months after the last dose.<bold>Results: </bold>Sixty-one patients were recruited of which 55 completed 6 months follow up and were available for analysis. Of these, 25 had verruca vulgaris, 18 had verruca plana and 12 had plantar warts. Forty two (76%) patients showed complete clearance after four sessions while the remaining 13 (24%) patients were non-responders. One patient developed a recurrence after total clearance during the follow-up period. Adverse effects were erythema, edema and pain at the site of injections.<bold>Limitations: </bold>As this was an uncontrolled trial, there is no comparison with a non-intervention group. Also, a Mantoux test was not done due to practical difficulties.<bold>Conclusion: </bold>Immunotherapy with PPD is helpful in the treatment of cutaneous warts.

IMMUNOTHERAPY; WARTS treatment; TUBERCULIN; FOLLOW-up studies (Medicine); ERYTHEMA; EDEMA; TREATMENT of skin tumors; BACTERIAL antigens; CLINICAL trials; COMPARATIVE studies; INJECTIONS; LONGITUDINAL method; RESEARCH methodology; MEDICAL cooperation; RESEARCH; SKIN tumors; WARTS; EVALUATION research; TREATMENT effectiveness

Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology & Leprology, 2016, Vol 82, Issue 1, p42

0378-6323

Academic Journal

10.4103/0378-6323.171650