Pathophysiology of Human papillomavirus

The Human Papillomavirus and Warts

The human papillomavirus, which has more than 100 different varieties, is what causes warts in patients. Any part of the skin or mucous membranes may become infected by warts. An individual’s epithelium becomes infected with the human papillomavirus. The infection does not, however, spread throughout the body. In a top layer of the epidermis, differentiated epithelial cells are where the viruses multiply. The infection results in skin thickening and cell growth (Loo and William 2). A person with the condition will frequently have flat warts on their face, hands, and legs (Gaston and Robert 1). Lesions develop as a result of the virus’ effects on the skin of the face. In most cases, warts do not cause pain to the patients. Nonetheless, there are situations where they cause pain and affect the daily activities of the patients.

Epidemiology

An estimation shows that warts usually affect between seven percent and ten percent of the population. Warts can affect people in any age group with high incidences occurring between 12 and 16 years (Almaani, Ai\u2010Lean, and Jemima 46). Studies show that up to 33% of school going children in some areas had warts (Bruggink et al. 437). These children contract human papillomavirus both from their families and in schools. Warts also equally affect both males and females. Flat warts are also common among children and young adults. The spread of the disease through contacts in the families and schools of the children contribute to its high prevalence among school children. Despite the high prevalence of warts, a limited number of children seek medical attention (Bruggink et al. 437).

Causative Agent

The causative agent for warts is human papillomavirus (HPV). Studies have led to the discovery of more than 100 types of HPV. However, there are types of these HPVs that commonly cause warts among infected patients. Type 2, 3, 4, 10, 27 and 57 are the most common HPV that cause warts among people.

Current Therapies

Warts often resolve without therapy especial for people whose immunity is not compromised. Therefore, people with effective immunity do not necessarily need treatment when they suffer from warts. Nonetheless, warts infections in genitalia area may necessitate treatment. Moreover, treatments may be time-consuming and contribute the unnecessary use of resources.

Nonetheless, there are treatments to help the affected individual recover their health status. One of the first-line treatments for warts is salicylic acid. Treatment of warts using salicylic acid requires persistence over an extended period. Studies show that use of salicylic acid has cure rates of up to 75% (Lipke, 276). Salicylic acid can cause moderate chemical burns in patients. Cryotherapy is another way of trying to treat cases of warts. Some studies show that the cure rates for using cryotherapy are 58% Cockayne et al. 3). Cryotherapy can also result in rare cases of side effects that include infections, change in skin pigmentation and nerve damage. However, efficiency resulting from the use of cryotherapy makes it one of the preferred choices for patients.

The patients can also opt for a laser treatment that burns the affected area with nutrients. It eliminates warts together with cells from affected areas (Hussain and Sterling, 2015, 28). However, it has limited success in curing the patients. Moreover, may cause scarring and pain to the patient.

Proposed Treatment

One of the proposed treatments is the use of HD tablet that showed some levels of efficacy. It involved using a scalpel to scrape off some layer of the skin cells. Then an adhesive was used to stick HD tablet to the site for treatment (Zandi et al. 2). The drug has the potential for high rates of curing the condition.

Works cited

Almaani, Noor, Ai‐Lean Chew, and Jemima Mellerio. “Warts in children: diagnosis and current treatment options.” Prescriber 19.22 (2008): 46-50.

Bruggink, Sjoerd C. et al. “Natural Course of Cutaneous Warts Among Primary Schoolchildren: A Prospective Cohort Study.” Annals of Family Medicine 11.5 (2013): 437-441. PMC. Web. 12 Dec. 2017.

Cockayne, Sarah, et al. “Cryotherapy versus salicylic acid for the treatment of plantar warts (verrucae): a randomised controlled trial.” bmj 342 (2011): d3271.

Gaston, Anca, and Robert F. Garry. “Topical vitamin A treatment of recalcitrant common warts.” Virology Journal 9.1 (2012): 21.

Hussain, Shaheen Haque, and Jane Sterling. “Treatment options for managing non‐genital warts.” Prescriber 26.7 (2015): 25-28.

Lipke MM. An Armamentarium of Wart Treatments. Clinical Medicine and Research. 2006;4(4):273-293.

Loo, Steven King-fan, and William Yuk-ming Tang. “Warts (non-Genital).” BMJ Clinical Evidence 2009 (2009): 1710. Print.

Rodríguez-Cerdeira, Carmen, and Elena Sánchez-Blanco. “Glycolic Acid 15% Plus Salicylic Acid 2%: A New Therapeutic Pearl for Facial Flat Warts.” The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology 4.9 (2011): 62-64. Print.

Zandi, Shokrollah et al. “Promising New Wart Treatment: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Clinical Trial.” Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal 18.8 (2016): e19650. PMC. Web. 12 Dec. 2017.