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. 2020 Aug;20(3):e330-e336.
doi: 10.18295/squmj.2020.20.03.013. Epub 2020 Oct 5.

The Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) Vaccine: Is it a better choice for the treatment of viral warts?

Asaad Q Al-Yassen  1 , Shukrya K Al-Maliki  1 , Jasim N Al-Asadi  1
Affiliations

The Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) Vaccine: Is it a better choice for the treatment of viral warts?

Asaad Q Al-Yassen et al. Sultan Qaboos Univ Med J. 2020 Aug.

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of the bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine with topical salicylic acid (SA) in the treatment of viral warts.

Methods: This non-randomised controlled trial was conducted at the Al-Sader Teaching Hospital, Basrah, Iraq, from January 2016 to April 2017. A total of 201 patients with viral warts were injected with an intradermal purified protein derivative. Subsequently, those with negative tuberculin test results received an intradermal BCG vaccination, while those with positive results underwent conventional treatment with topical SA. Patients were assessed for any signs of improvement at one, two and three months.

Results: Overall, 190 patients completed the trial; of these, 133 (70%) received the BCG vaccine and 57 (30%) were treated with topical SA. Complete response to treatment was observed in 9.8% and 5.3% of patients in the BCG and SA groups, respectively (P <0.001). Cure rates were significantly higher for patients with genital (22.2% versus 7.7%; P = 0.002) and common warts (8.5% versus 0%; P = 0.001) treated with the BCG vaccine; however, the reverse was true for flat warts (12.9% versus 25%; P = 0.041). A binary logistic regression analysis indicated that BCG therapy was the only significant independent predictor of positive treatment response (odds ratio: 7.56, 95% confidence interval: 3.72-15.36; P <0.001).

Conclusion: The BCG vaccine was more effective than topical SA for treating viral warts, with the best response noted in the treatment of genital warts, followed by flat warts. However, plantar warts demonstrated least response to this treatment.

Keywords: BCG Vaccine; Clinical Trial; Human Papilloma Viruses; Immunotherapy; Salicylic Acid; Treatment Effectiveness; Warts.

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Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICT OF INTEREST The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart showing the group allocation and intervention processes applied to the clinical trial. TST = tuberculin skin test; SA = salicylic acid; BCG = bacillus Calmette-Guérin.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Photographs of the foot sole and toes of a patient showing (A) multiple plantar warts before treatment and (B) complete clearance two months after receiving the bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Photographs of the fingers of a patient showing (A) common warts before treatment and (B) complete clearance two months after receiving the bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Comparison of treatment response to the bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine or conventional treatment with salicylic acid according to number of warts among patients with viral warts (N = 190). The difference between groups was statistically significant (P = 0.043). BCG= bacillus Calmette-Guérin; SA= salicylic acid.
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