Objective: To evaluate the effect of alpha-interferon as an adjuvant to laser or fluorouracil treatment in patients with recurrent genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.
Methods: Sixty-two females and 21 males were treated for recurrent HPV infection, with either fluorouracil (Efudex 5%) cream or laser ablation of the lesions. Half of the patients were then randomly treated with adjuvant alpha-interferon, to the lesions for patients treated with fluorouracil, or beneath areas previously treated by laser, once a week, for 8 weeks. The other half of the patients did not receive interferon adjuvant. Evaluation of both groups was done using colposcopy and acetic acid, to assess recurrence rates up to 1 year after treatment.
Results: Of the 83 patients followed for 1 year, colposcopy revealed recurrent anogenital lesions in 3 of 45 receiving interferon, compared with 9 of 38 patients treated without adjuvant interferon.
Conclusion: Interferon is effective as adjuvant treatment in controlling the recurrence of genital HPV.