Abstract

Thymus derived lymphocytes (T cells) were counted in the peripheral blood of 30 patients with genital warts and in 20 healthy controls. The control group was made up of 10 healthy patients with no history of warts and 10 who had been cured of warts for at least 12 months. We found that patients with genital warts had a significantly lower number of T cells despite an adequate number of circulating lymphocytes in the peripheral blood. We therefore suggest that a functional defect of lymphocytes ("dyslymphocytosis") could be the cause of genital warts either in their primary or recurrent form. These abnormal lymphocytes return to their normal function after the disappearance of genital warts.