Abstract: Objective To investigate the correlation between the relapse of condyloma acuminatum(CA)and the potential capability of tumor necrotic factor (TNF) production of the host's peripheral blood leukocytes. Methods Forty-two CA patients and 58 normal controls were enrolled in this study. CA relapse was diagnosed clinically. EB virus-transformed B lymphoblastoid cell line(LCL)were used as TNF producing cells. The TNF producing capability of LCL was measured by bioassay using L929 (a TNF sensitive tumor cell line) as target cells. The LCL were stimulated with LPS to produce TNF. Results The average level of TNF production of LCL from all CA patients (including recurrent and non-recurrent CA patients) was similar to that of normal controls (30.14% ± 12.27 vs 34.06% ± 12.06,P=0.1136). However, the level of TNF production of LCs from recurrent CA patients was significantly less than that from non-recurrent CA patients (24.75% ± 7.51 vs 36.62% ± 10.96,P=0.00016). Compared with that of normal controls, recurrent CA patients showed a lower capability to produce TNF (24.75% ± 7.51 vs 34.06% ± 12.06,P=0.00054), whereas non-recurrent CA patients showed a similar capability to normal controls (36.62% ± 10.96 vs 34.06% ± 12.06,P=0.3517). Conclusions These results indicate that the cellular immune mechanism might play an important role in the clearance of the residual HPV from the host, in which TNF is involved.

Key words: Condylomata acuminata, Recurrence, Tumor necrosis factor-alpha