Distinct clinico-immunological profile of patients infected with human papilloma virus genotypes 6 and 11

Anogenital warts are primarily caused by Human Papillomavirus (HPV) type 6 and 11, which belong to the taxonomic family Papillomaviridae, genus alpha-papillomavirus and species 10. The presentation of the warts is varied and most of the patients have high recurrence rate of wart lesions. Studies had shown that an effective cellular immune response is required for the control of HPV infection. Here, we report distinct clinico-immunological profile of two patients presenting with venereal warts caused by HPV genotypes 6 and 11. The Case 1 manifested greater number of verrucous warts and case 2 had fewer subtle lesions. Further, evaluation of HPV antigen-specific cellular immune response revealed a robust T cell response against HPV6 peptide and a weak response against HPV11 in case 1. Interestingly, HPV genotyping revealed type 6 in case 1 with greater severity of infection and robust immune response against HPV6 peptide. In contrast, case 2 presented with milder infection and weak immune response and was positive for genotype 11. More extensive study with larger cohorts will strengthen our observation and could be relevant for designing immunotherapeutic adjunct strategies along with the standard treatment for rapid clearance of HPV infections in these patients. This communication reports immune status of two patients with venereal warts and their correlation with clinical presentation and the genotyping.