title: Betulinic acid and possible influence on the clearance of Human Papilloma Virus: cytological and virological follow-up.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Persistent infection with high-risk Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) types is considered necessary for the development of cervical cancer. No such efficient antiviral agent exists at the present time. The aim of this study was to assess whether the use of topical products, vaginal ovules, containing betulinic acid and betulin may influence viral replication in vivo by promoting its negativity.
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled 62 patients at the colposcopy ambulatory with negative colposcopy or with congenital ectopic or normal transformation zone, but with HPV-test positive for high risk. We divided the patients into two groups: group A had no kind of treatment, group B has undergone a treatment with vaginal ovules containing betulinic acid and betulin. All patients have taken a new HPV-test six months after the first control.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After six months, we compared the percentage of negative HPV-test. We observed a percentage of negativity of 93% in group B versus 68% in group A. The data was statistically significant at χ2 test (P<0,05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We believe that the results should be investigated further to confirm if there is a correlation between these substances and the increase in the rate of viral negativity.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Second University of Studies of Naples, Naples, Italy - mt.s76@libero.it.
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Schettino
authors.forename: F P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Ammaturo
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Labriola
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Franciscis
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Colacurci
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Torella
mesh_terms: D003127:Colposcopy; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D027383:Papillomaviridae; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000821:virology; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia