The primary objective of this pilot study is to evaluate the effect of the HPV vaccine Gardasil on anal condylomata recurrence and persistence rates in HIV positive patients.
A quadrivalent human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine called Gardasil had recently (at start of study) been developed and approved by the FDA for the prevention of cervical HPV infection and cervical cancer, which is associated with infection from this virus. It is unknown whether the same vaccine could also be of benefit in treating anogenital warts, which are caused by the same virus. This is an important and clinically relevant question which needs to be answered. Anal warts have a high prevalence and recurrence and usually require extended lengths of treatment and follow-up, especially in the HIV population. At times, treatment of anal warts requires multiple surgeries to excise them if the burden of disease is high. Therefore, this disease represents a significant expense to patients and the health care system. Further, the HPV virus that causes anal warts has been associated with anal cancer and with its preliminary lesion known as anal intraepithelial neoplasia (AIN). This study touches on two important, relevant and costly healthcare issues: finding a better treatment for the most common sexually transmitted disease in our country, and helping to prevent anal cancer, which is often a fatal disease.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
32
0.5 ml
0.5mL intramuscular injection of Gardasil (quadrivalent HPV vaccine) in their upper extremity initially and again at two months and six months after enrollment.
Washington University in St. Louis, Section of Colon Rectal Surgery
St Louis, Missouri, United States
The Primary Endpoint of This Study is Persistence and Recurrence of Anal Warts as Compared Between the Experimental and Control Groups.
Persistence of anal warts will be measured by the presence of any lesions at one month follow-up after surgery. Recurrence of anal warts will be measured by the development of new lesions after one month of follow-up.
Time frame: Follow up evaluation after treatment at 1, 3, 6, 9. 12, 15, 18 months after initial treatment
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