Evaluation of the Efficacy of Active Hexose Correlated Compound as an Adjuvant in Reducing Recurrence After Condyloma Cauterization

TL;DR

This study evaluates whether AHCC, a nutritional supplement, can reduce the recurrence of HPV-related genital warts after cauterization treatment.

Contribution

The study introduces AHCC as a potential adjuvant therapy for preventing condyloma recurrence following cauterization.

Findings

AHCC users had significantly lower recurrence rates in terms of condyloma number and size compared to non-users.

AHCC users initially had larger and more numerous condylomas than non-users.

AHCC may serve as a supportive therapy in the absence of effective systemic treatments for HPV.

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted illnesses. HPV is responsible for genital condyloma lesions. A durable and effective systemic treatment regimen has not been established for HPV-related infections. In the present study, our purpose was to evaluate the role of active hexose correlated compound (AHCC) in preventing relapse in patients who underwent cauterization for condyloma accuminata. Materials and Methods: A total of 244 individuals admitted to our hospital between January 2019 and June 2022 were diagnosed as having condyloma acuminata, and those who underwent condyloma cauterization were evaluated retrospectively. We included 133 individuals who met the criteria. Patients who received AHCC were scheduled for follow-up examinations at regular intervals every three months. Patients were divided into two groups and analyzed based on whether they did or did not use AHCC. Results: The average age of AHCC non-users was significantly greater than that of AHCC users (p < 0.01). The number of condylomas and the maximum condyloma diameter of AHCC users before treatment were found to be significantly higher than in AHCC non-users (p = 0.006 and p = 0.004, respectively). Among participants with recurrence, the number and diameter of condylomas in AHCC users were significantly lower than in AHCC non-users (p = 0.019 and p = 0.042, respectively). Conclusions: Although the usage of AHCC is not expected to help prevent recurrence after the cauterization of condylomata acuminate in all patients, physicians may consider AHCC as a nutritional supplement and supportive therapy in the absence of other systemic treatments. Consequently, the duration of AHCC support necessary to optimize the effect of AHCC use on relapse prevention requires further evaluation on the basis of both target IFN-β levels and HPV infection status.