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BMC veterinary research2017; 13(1); 296; doi: 10.1186/s12917-017-1215-0

Topical use of 5% acyclovir cream for the treatment of occult and verrucous equine sarcoids: a double-blinded placebo-controlled study.

Abstract: Previous studies mention the use of topical acyclovir for the treatment of equine sarcoids. Success rates vary and since the bovine papillomavirus (BPV) lacks the presence of a kinase necessary to activate acyclovir, there is no proof of its activity against equine sarcoids. Results: Twenty-four equine sarcoids were topically treated with acyclovir cream and 25 with a placebo. Both creams were applied twice daily during 6 months. Before the start of the treatment and further on a monthly basis, photographs and swabs were obtained. On the photographs, sarcoid diameter and surface area were measured and verrucosity of the tumours was quantified using a visual analog scale (VAS). The swabs were analysed by PCR for the presence of BPV DNA and positivity rates were calculated as the number of positive swabs divided by the total number of swabs for each treatment group at each time point. Success rates were not significantly different between both treatment groups. There was also no significant effect of treatment on sarcoid diameter, surface area or VAS score. For the swabs, a significantly higher BPV positivity rate was found for acyclovir treated tumours compared to placebo treated sarcoids only after 1 month of treatment and not at other time points. Conclusions: None of the results indicate that treatment with acyclovir yields any better results compared to placebo treatment.
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Publication Date: 2017-10-06 PubMed ID: 28985733PubMed Central: PMC6389201DOI: 10.1186/s12917-017-1215-0Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Controlled Clinical Trial
  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research article investigates the effectiveness of a 5% acyclovir cream in the treatment of equine sarcoids, a type of skin tumor in horses, in comparison to a placebo, ultimately finding no significant difference in results between the two treatments.

Research Objective and Methodology

The study’s primary objective was to determine the effectiveness of topical acyclovir cream for the treatment of equine sarcoids, a skin tumor found in horses. This particular study was double-blinded and placebo-controlled, ensuring a non-biased approach.

  • Twenty-four equine sarcoids were treated with the 5% acyclovir cream, and twenty-five were treated with a placebo.
  • These creams were applied topically twice a day for a period of six months.
  • Before starting treatment and subsequently every month, photographs and swabs of the equine sarcoids were taken.
  • The diameter and surface area of the sarcoid were measured and examined using the photographs, with the verrucosity (roughness or wart-like appearance) of the tumors quantified using a visual analog scale (VAS).
  • The swabs taken were subjected to Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) to determine the presence of Bovine Papillomavirus (BPV) DNA, a virus linked to equine sarcoids.

Results of the Research

The findings of this thorough investigation did not yield definitive results supporting the efficacy of 5% acyclovir cream for the treatment of equine sarcoids.

  • There were no significantly different success rates between the 5% acyclovir and placebo treatment groups, suggesting that the cream did not have a substantial effect on the sarcoids.
  • The sarcoid’s diameter, surface area, and VAS score also did not show any significant difference or improvement after the treatment with acyclovir cream.
  • In terms of BPV positivity rate, only after 1 month of treatment was a significantly higher rate found in the acyclovir-treated tumors as compared to the placebo-treated sarcoids; no significant difference was observed at other points in the timeline.

Conclusion of the Study

The study concludes that treatment with 5% acyclovir topical cream does not seem to yield better results for treating equine sarcoids than those obtained from a placebo treatment. Therefore, this suggests that acyclovir cream may not be a promising treatment approach for these equine skin tumors.

Cite This Article

APA
Haspeslagh M, Jordana Garcia M, Vlaminck LEM, Martens AM. (2017). Topical use of 5% acyclovir cream for the treatment of occult and verrucous equine sarcoids: a double-blinded placebo-controlled study. BMC Vet Res, 13(1), 296. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-017-1215-0

Publication

BMC veterinary research
ISSN: 1746-6148
NlmUniqueID: 101249759
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 13
Issue: 1
Pages: 296
PII: 296

Researcher Affiliations

Haspeslagh, Maarten
  • Department of Surgery and Anaesthesiology of Domestic Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium. maarten.haspeslagh@ugent.be.
Jordana Garcia, Mireia
  • Department of Surgery and Anaesthesiology of Domestic Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium.
Vlaminck, Lieven E M
  • Department of Surgery and Anaesthesiology of Domestic Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium.
Martens, Ann M
  • Department of Surgery and Anaesthesiology of Domestic Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium.

MeSH Terms

  • Acyclovir / administration & dosage
  • Acyclovir / therapeutic use
  • Administration, Topical
  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / administration & dosage
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Antiviral Agents / administration & dosage
  • Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use
  • Double-Blind Method
  • Horse Diseases / drug therapy
  • Horses
  • Placebos
  • Skin Cream
  • Skin Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Skin Neoplasms / veterinary

Conflict of Interest Statement

ETHICS APPROVAL AND CONSENT TO PARTICIPATE: The study was approved by the ethical committee of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University (approval num.: EC2012/183) and all owners signed an informed consent before participation in the study. CONSENT FOR PUBLICATION: Not applicable. COMPETING INTERESTS: The authors declare that they have no competing interests. PUBLISHER’S NOTE: Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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Citations

This article has been cited 5 times.
  1. Song Y, Day CM, Afinjuomo F, Tan JE, Page SW, Garg S. Advanced Strategies of Drug Delivery via Oral, Topical, and Parenteral Administration Routes: Where Do Equine Medications Stand?. Pharmaceutics 2023 Jan 4;15(1).
    doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15010186pubmed: 36678815google scholar: lookup
  2. Saba C, Eggleston R, Parks A, Peroni J, Sjoberg E, Rice S, Tyma J, Williams J, Grosenbaugh D, Leard AT. ALVAC-fIL2, a feline interleukin-2 immunomodulator, as a treatment for sarcoids in horses: A pilot study. J Vet Intern Med 2022 May;36(3):1179-1184.
    doi: 10.1111/jvim.16425pubmed: 35416353google scholar: lookup
  3. Weber LA, Delarocque J, Feige K, Kietzmann M, Kalbitz J, Meißner J, Paschke R, Cavalleri JV. Effects of Topically Applied Betulinic Acid and NVX-207 on Melanocytic Tumors in 18 Horses. Animals (Basel) 2021 Nov 13;11(11).
    doi: 10.3390/ani11113250pubmed: 34827981google scholar: lookup
  4. Weber LA, Funtan A, Paschke R, Delarocque J, Kalbitz J, Meißner J, Feige K, Kietzmann M, Cavalleri JV. In vitro assessment of triterpenoids NVX-207 and betulinyl-bis-sulfamate as a topical treatment for equine skin cancer. PLoS One 2020;15(11):e0241448.
    doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241448pubmed: 33151949google scholar: lookup
  5. Smith CH, Stewart HL, Stefanovski D, Levine DG. Outcomes following autologous tumor tissue implantation with or without concurrent antineoplastic therapies in the treatment of sarcoids in 50 equids. Front Vet Sci 2025;12:1559519.
    doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1559519pubmed: 40417356google scholar: lookup
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