Effect of paiteling on human papillomavirus infection of the cervix

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of the traditional Chinese medicine paiteling on the outcome of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection of the cervix. A total of 321 patients were enrolled in this study and HPV subtypes were determined by the Hybribio HPV genotyping system. The patients were divided into the loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP; n=82) and non-LEEP (n=239) groups, according to the cervical intraepithelial neoplasia classification. These two groups were further subdivided into the drug (paiteling) and control subgroups. Thin-prep cytology and HR-HPV tests were performed every 3 months for 1 year. In the non-LEEP group, the negative conversion rate of HR-HPV and the regression rate of the cervical lesions in drug subgroup were significantly higher compared with those in the control subgroup. In the LEEP group, the seroconversion rate of the drug subgroup, but not the regression rate of the lesions, was significantly higher compared with that in the control subgroup. The seroconversion rate of HPV16-infected patients at 12 months was 85.7%, whereas it reached 100% in all other HPV subtypes. Therefore, paiteling may accelerate the clearance of HPV infection and the regression of cervical lesions.