Interferon alpha-2b treatment for exophytic nasal papillomas and human papillomavirus infection

Objectives

Exophytic Sinonasal Papilloma (ESP) is a benign tumor of the sinonasal tract. Complete surgical excision by endoscopic surgery is the treatment of choice. However, a high recurrence rate (36% at 5-year follow-up) is associated with this method, which may indicate the presence of microorganisms such as Human Papillomavirus (HPV). It is important to note that the standard treatment for ESP does not include antiviral drugs. In our study, we are testing the effectiveness of an interferon-containing drug in reducing recurrence and postoperative reactions in patients with ESP.

Methods

We included 78 patients aged 23–83 years with a confirmed diagnosis of ESP by rhinoscopy and nasal endoscopy and a positive PCR test for HPV in nasal scrapings. To compare the results, we divided the patients into main and control groups. The main group received recombinant human interferon after surgery, while the control group did not receive the drug. We performed a statistical analysis to compare the proportion of patients without reactive manifestations at different stages of the postoperative period, as well as to compare the proportion of patients with recurrent ESP at certain stages of observation.

Results

The introduction of recombinant human interferon accelerated the resolution of postoperative reactions and promoted the healing of the nasal mucosa after surgical removal of the ESP. We also found a statistically significant association between treatment with recombinant interferon and a reduction in the recurrence rate of ESP.

Conclusion

According to the results of the study, it was found that in the main group of patients who received rhIFN-α2b (recombinant human Interferon alpha 2b) in the postoperative period, the frequency of relapses of ESP and the time of postoperative recovery were significantly lower than in patients in the control group who did not take the drug.

Level of evidence

Cohort Study.