Local changes in the type 3 interferons in women with human papillomavirus infection before and after treatment with Inosine pranobex

 Papillomavirus infection remains one of the main causes of pathological conditions of the female reproductive tract. Innate immunity is one of the first protective mechanisms against this infection, with interferon system being one of its elements. Due to ability of HPV for immune evasion, and lack of uniform clinical recommendations and protocols for management and treatment of women with papillomavirus infection, further studies on probable usage of immunomodulatory drugs are an urgent issue for both fundamental and clinical medicine. Currently, a lot of antiviral and immunomodulatory drugs is used in the treatment of virusassociated diseases of urogenital tract associated with a Th1/Th2 type imbalance. However, the drugs with Inosine pranobex as active substance seem to be the most effective and safe drugs for PVI. The aim of our study was to determine type 3 interferons in the cervical mucus of the women before and after Inosine pranobex therapy.
We have examined 42 patients with papillomavirus infection treated with drugs with the active substance Inosine pranobex. The average age of women was 31±4.1 years. The levels of IL-29 (IFNλ1) and IL-28 (IFNλ3)
in cervical mucosa were determined using specific reagents from R&D Diagnostics Inc. (USA). The levels of IL-29 (IFNλ1) were increased in all the groups compared to controls. After treatment, these indexes were
significantly higher, compared with the group before treatment. IL-28 (IFNλ3) had opposite results to IL-29 (IFNλ1). Thus, in the groups of samples taken before and after therapy, the indexes increased in comparison with the group before treatment, demonstrating the course of recovery towards reference values. The dynamics of studied indexes may be associated with early evaluation period, due to longer duration of immunological changes leading to induction of promoter gene expression, as well as due to insufficient stimulation of these genes. Usage of Inosine pranobex was associated with significantly increased levels of IL-29 (IFNλ1) as soon as a month after therapy. Taking into account genetic homology of type 3 interferons, we may assume that the use of Inosine pranobex drugs in the patients with papillomavirus infection is substantiated, and it may positively affect prognosis of the disease, due to induction of the non-specific immune response.