Abstract
Human papilloma virus (HPV) infection and its progression still represent a great medical challenge worldwide. Clinical evidence has demonstrated the beneficial effects of polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) on HPV clinical manifestations; however, evidence of the effect of this molecule on HPV viral load is still lacking. In this in vitro study, 13 ThinPrep Papanicolaou (Pap) tests were treated with a PHMB solution (0.10 g/100 mL) for 2 h. We observed no cytological changes but a significant reduction in the viral load of high-risk (HR) HPV after PHMB treatment, also revealing a dose-dependent antiviral effect. In addition, by stratifying the obtained results according to HR-HPV genotype, we observed a significant reduction in the viral load of HPV 16, P2 (56, 59, 66), 31, and P3 (35, 39, 68) and a strong decrease in the viral load of HPV 45, 52, and P1 (33, 58). Overall, 85% of the analyzed cervical cell samples exhibited an improvement in HPV viral load after PHMB exposure, while only 15% remain unchanged. For the first time, the data from this pilot study support the activity of PHMB on a specific phase of the HPV viral lifecycle, the one regarding the newly generated virions, reducing viral load and thus blocking the infection of other cervical cells.