Oral use of interferon therapy in cervical human papillomavirus infection

The efficacy and the optimal dose of systemic alpha-interferon treatment of genital human papillomavirus infection is now under discussion because of high cost, low compliance and systemic toxicity of this drug. Recent studies seem to suggest that natural alpha-interferon may also have antiviral efficacy in humans after oral administration of low doses of the drug. For this reason, the efficacy and side-effects of an oral preparation of natural alpha-Interferon (OROFERONE-IFI) have been evaluated in a randomized, placebo controlled trial. We report here the results of this preliminary study. Low doses (150U tid for 8 weeks) of the drug were administered to 12 patients with mild cervical dysplasia and human papillomavirus infection. A significantly higher proportion of Interferon treated subjects showed a colposcopic and histological regression of the lesion after months of treatment in comparison with 9 placebo treated patients (75% vs 30%) without major side effects. These results seem to justify wider evaluations of this approach to Interferon treatment characterized by lower costs and fewer side effects in comparison with traditional systemic high dose treatment of alpha Interferon.