Clinical and immunologic results of local hyperthermia at 44 °C for extensive genital warts in patients with diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Background: Genital warts are more extensive and difficult to treat in patients with diabetes mellitus due to defective immune responses.

Purpose: Our aim was to confirm the suitability of local hyperthermia for the treatment of genital warts in patients with diabetes mellitus and to investigate the immune cells in lesional areas at different time intervals after treatment.

Methods: We treated three diabetic patients with extensive genital warts by local hyperthermia at 44 °C for 30 min a day for 3 consecutive days plus 2 additional days 1 week later, then once a week till there showed signs of clinical clearance. Immunohistochemical profile was described on serial biopsies from a patient with confluent plaques.

Results: The warty lesions in the patients resolved in 6, 4 and 9 weeks, respectively. Immunohistochemical staining in the regressing warts revealed abundant infiltrating CD4+ T and CD8+ T lymphocytes (P < 0.01), as well as macrophages and CD1a+ dendritic cells.

Conclusions: This preliminary study suggested that local hyperthermia was a safe and effective single modality in the treatment of genital warts in diabetic patients and could induce a rapid immune response in lesional skin.