One‐Year Experience with Candida Antigen Immunotherapy for Warts and Molluscum

Abstract

Molluscum contagiosum and warts are two very common viral-induced diseases of childhood. We report our 1-year experience with intralesional candida antigen therapy for both warts and molluscum contagiosum. A retrospective chart review was performed and a total of 217 patients were identified. Follow-up was obtained either through clinic visits or telephone interviews for 25/47 molluscum patients and 55/170 wart patients. Of the molluscum patients with follow-up, 14/25 (56%) had complete resolution, 7/25 (28%) had partial clearing, and 4/25 (16%) had no improvement. For the wart patients with follow-up, 48/55 (87%) had complete resolution, 3/55 (6%) had partial clearing, and 4/55 (7%) had no improvement. It is important to note that our clearance rate may be overestimated, as many patients were also treated concurrently with liquid nitrogen or other therapies. All wart and molluscum patients experienced some discomfort at the time of injection, but no serious side effects were reported. Our experience suggests intralesional candida antigen may represent a treatment option for warts and molluscum contagiosum that is safe and effective.

Measles, mumps and rubella vaccine as an intralesional immunotherapy in treatment of warts

“…The therapeutic response to intralesional MMR vaccine in our study was much higher than that reported by Kus et al 17 (29.4%), Clifton et al 18 (47%), King et al 19 (50%), Signore 20 (51%) and Horn et al 21 (53%), slightly higher than that reported by Johnson and Horn 22 (70.9%), similar to that reported by Phillips et al 23 (72%) and slightly lower than that reported by Johnson et al 24 (74%) , Brunk 25 (85%), Gupta et al 26 (88.9%) and Maronn et al 27 (87%). The presence of three synergistic viral antigens in MMR vaccine that could be associated with higher stimulation of the immune system may explain the relatively higher response in our study as compared to most of the related studies which utilize either a single antigen [17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] or a combination of antigens.…”

Management of Cutaneous Human Papillomavirus Infection: Pharmacotherapies

“…This hypothesis is further supported by multiple reports of Candida-treated patients clearing untreated warts [2][3][4]. A retrospective chart review of 217 patients treated with Candida antigen revealed a total of 48/55 (87%) with complete resolution, 3/55 (6%) with partial clearing and 4/55 (7%) who had no improvement at the follow-up [5]. Similar response rates were seen in a phase 1 trial of intralesional injection of Candida antigen in 11 patients, which demonstrated an 82% (9/11) clearance rate of treated warts and 75% (6/8) clearance of nontreated distant warts [2].…”

Autoimplantation therapy for the management of extensive molluscumcontagiosum: a novel treatment approach

“…5 On keen observation of the clinical and immunological spectrum of MCV and HPV infection, many similarities, including the vital role of immunological response in both, can be appreciated. Role of immunological modulation in treatment of both warts and MC has also been provided by Maronnet al 21 . They reported their one year experience with intralesional candida antigen therapy for both warts and molluscumcontagiosum.…”