HPV Co-infection Research Articles

Detection of HIV mRNA in routine liquid-based cytology specimens of HIV-infected women.

Human immunodeficiency virus-infected women have a high incidence of HPV infection, and HIV and HPV coinfection is associated with high incidence of cervical intraepithelial lesions and cervical cancer. This study investigated the ability to detect HIV mRNA in routine screening cervical liquid-based cytology (LBC) samples and its correlation with HPV coinfection and cervical intraepithelial lesions. Liquid-based cytology samples from 80 HIV-infected women under combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) were studied for detection of HIV and HPV mRNA using Aptima® tests and for cytology diagnosis according to the 2014 Bethesda System for Reporting Cervical Cytology. Peripheral blood (PB) HIV mRNAs were assessed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Statistical analysis used Fisher's exact or Chi-square test to compare frequencies among groups and the Mann-Whitney U test to compare continuous variables. Human immunodeficiency virus mRNA was present in 21.3% of routine LBC samples in HIV-infected women, 12.5% of which had no detectable PB viral load. Among 10 patients diagnosed with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL), 50% had detectable HIV viral load. The occurrence of HSIL vs low-grade intraepithelial lesion/negative intraepithelial lesion or malignancy in LBC samples was significantly higher in women with detectable HIV viral load (P=.029). Human immunodeficiency virus mRNA was present in routine LBC samples in HIV-positive women under cART. Detection of HIV viral load in LBC is significantly associated with cervical HSIL. This suggests the relevance of HIV mRNA viral load assessment in routine LBC, to evaluate patients' infectious potential and monitor efficacy of the cART scheme.

Landscape of oncoviral genotype and co-infection via human papilloma and hepatitis B viral tumor in situ profiling

SummaryThe role of oncoviral genotype and co-infection driving oncogenesis remains unclear. We have developed a scalable, high throughput tool for sensitive and precise oncoviral genotype deconvolution. Using tumor RNA sequencing data, we applied it to 537 virally infected liver, cervical, and head and neck tumors, providing the first comprehensive integrative landscape of tumor-viral gene expression, viral antigen immunogenicity, patient survival, and mutational profiling organized by tumor oncoviral genotype. We find that HBV and HPV genotype and co-infection serve as significant predictors of patient survival and immune activation. Finally, we demonstrate that HPV genotype is more associated with viral oncogene expression than cancer type, implying that expression may be similar across episomal and stochastic integration-based infections. While oncoviral infections are known risk factors for oncogenesis, viral genotype and co-infection are shown to strongly associate with disease progression, patient survival, mutational signatures, and putative tumor neoantigen immunogenicity, facilitating novel clinical associations with infections.

Frequent high-risk HPV co-infections excluding types 16 or 18 in cervical neoplasia in Guadeloupe

BackgroundCervical cancer is the fourth cancer worldwide. The Human Papilloma Virus is responsible for 99% of the cases but the distribution of its genotypes varies among populations. We aimed to identify HPV genotypes distribution in women with grade 2/3 cervical intraepithelial dysplasia or invasive cervical cancer in Guadeloupe, a French Caribbean territory with a population mainly of African descent.MethodsWe used paraffin-embedded tumors for viral DNA extraction from women diagnosed between 2014 and 2016 and identified by the population-based cancer registry. The HPV Genotyping was performed with the InnoLIPA HPV Genotyping Extra kit®.ResultsOverall, 213 samples out of the 321 eligible records were analyzed. The HPV status was positive for 94% of the cases. The five most common oncogenic HPV genotypes were HPV31 (47%), HPV33 (38%), HPV16 (32%), HPV44 (31%) and HPV26 (28%). HPV18 was found in only in 5% of the cases. Among the studied cases, 94% had multiple infections. More than 60% of single infections were HPV16-related, accounting for 35% of HPV16 infections.ConclusionsThese results show a different distribution of oncogenic HPVs in Guadeloupe with “31 > 33 > 16” and a high frequency of multiple infections. Despite a lower coverage, the nine-valent vaccine is nevertheless adequate.

Depletion and activation of mucosal CD4 T cells in HIV infected women with HPV-associated lesions of the cervix uteri.

BackgroundThe burden of HPV-associated premalignant and malignant cervical lesions remains high in HIV+ women even under ART treatment. In order to identify possible underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms, we studied activation and HIV co-receptor expression in cervical T-cell populations in relation to HIV, HPV and cervical lesion status.MethodsCervical cytobrush (n = 468: 253 HIV- and 215 HIV+; 71% on ART) and blood (in a subset of 39 women) was collected from women in Mbeya, Tanzania. Clinical data on HIV and HPV infection, as well as ART status was collected. T cell populations were characterized using multiparametric flow cytometry-based on their expression of markers for cellular activation (HLA-DR), and memory (CD45RO), as well as HIV co-receptors (CCR5, α4β7).ResultsCervical and blood T cells differed significantly, with higher frequencies of T cells expressing CD45RO, as well as the HIV co-receptors CCR5 and α4β7 in the cervical mucosa. The skewed CD4/CD8 T cell ratio in blood of HIV+ women was mirrored in the cervical mucosa and HPV co-infection was linked to lower levels of mucosal CD4 T cells in HIV+ women (%median: 22 vs 32; p = 0.04). In addition, HIV and HPV infection, and especially HPV-associated cervical lesions were linked to significantly higher frequencies of HLA-DR+ CD4 and CD8 T cells (p-values < 0.05). Interestingly, HPV infection did not significantly alter frequencies of CCR5+ or α4β7+ CD4 T cells.ConclusionThe increased proportion of activated cervical T cells associated with HPV and HIV infection, as well as HPV-associated lesions, together with the HIV-induced depletion of cervical CD4 T cells, may increase the risk for HPV infection, associated premalignant lesions and cancer in HIV+ women. Further, high levels of activated CD4 T cells associated with HPV and HPV-associated lesions could contribute to a higher susceptibility to HIV in HPV infected women.

Glutathione Peroxidase (GPx) and Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) in Oropharyngeal Cancer Associated with EBV and HPV Coinfection.

Recent reports have pointed to the link between persistent inflammation, oxidative stress, and carcinogenesis; however most of the studies concerning the role of viruses in head and neck cancer (HNC) are focused mainly on one type of virus. Our present study aimed to study the relationship between Epstein–Barr virus/human papilloma virus (EBV/HPV) coinfection and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) level in oropharyngeal cancer. Fresh-frozen tumor tissue samples were collected from 128 patients with oropharyngeal cancer infected with EBV or HPV or with EBV/HPV coinfection. After DNA extraction, EBV and HPV DNA was detected using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. GPx and SOD activity was determined in homogenates of cancer tissue using diagnostic kits produced by Randox Laboratories. Both GPx and SOD activity was statistically lower in patients with EBV/HPV coinfection than in a single EBV or HPV infection. Analysis of GPx and SOD activity in relation to histological grading and tumor, node (TN) classification revealed that in poorly-differentiated tumors, the level of antioxidant enzymes was lower compared with well-differentiated lesions and in cases with greater tumor dimensions and lymph-node involvement, both GPx and SOD activity was decreased. Further studies are necessary to clarify the influence of interplay between EBV, HPV, and oxidative stress on malignant transformation of upper aerodigestive tract epithelial cells.

Sero-diagnosis of &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Chlamydia trachomatis&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; and Molecular Detection of Genital Oncogenic &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Human Papilloma Virus&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; Among Cameroonian Women

Cervical cancer is a preventable public health concern ranking second among women’s cancer in Cameroon. <i>Human papilloma virus</i> (HPV) is the main causative agent with <i>Chlamydia trachomatis</i> being suggested as the co-factor. Our objective was to characterize high risk (hr) HPV types and to detect <i>Chlamydia trachomatis</i> antibodies among Cameroonian women with and without cervical cancer. <i>Methods</i>: This unmatched case-control study enrolled 100 cases with cervical cancer and 200 controls with normal cytology aged 25- 65 years in four reference hospitals in Douala and Yaoundé (Cameroon). Consented participants filled a structured questionnaire and data on socio-demographic characteristics collected. <i>Chlamydia trachomatis</i> antibodies were detected by the Enzyme Linked Immuno-Sorbent Assay technique (ELISA) and hr HPV- DNA by PCR technique. Descriptive statistics was conducted to provide frequencies and percentages and the logistic regression analysis to assess the association between categorical data. p < 0.05 was considered significant. <i>Results</i>: Our data showed 39 (39.0%) cases aged 39-52 years compared to 96 (48.0%) controls aged 25-38 years (p=0.001). We found 82 (82.0%) cases compared to 131 (65.5%) controls with hr HPV infections. HPV 16 was most prevalent being found in 29 (29.0%) cases compared to 69 (34.5%) controls. <i>Chlamydia trachomatis</i> IgG / hr HPV co-infections were detected in 20 (20.0%) cases compared to 33 (16.5%) controls but with no significant association with cervical cancer (aOR=1.87; 95%CI: 0.58-5.97; p=0.293). <i>Chlamydia trachomatis</i> IgM (aOR=3.50; 95%CI: 1.16-10.49; p=0.025) was significantly associated with cervical cancer. <i>Conclusion</i>: Hr HPV- DNA was high in cases than in controls. <i>Chlamydia trachomatis</i> single infection and <i>Chlamydia trachomatis</i>/hr HPV co-infections were not significantly associated to precancerous lesions thus, necessitating further investigations.

The specific features of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia associated with persistent HPV infection

Aim. Of the study was to assess the clinical and laboratory features of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) with persistent human papillomavirus infection and the development of prognostic criteria for persistence of HPV. Materials and methods. The prospective study included 63 patients with HPV-associated CIN. Assessment of persistence of HPV was based on detection of HPV when retesting 12 months. Depending on the results of retesting there were 2 groups: group 1A (main group, n=26), including patients with CIN and HPV persistence after treatment, mean age - 33.69±1.92 years; group 1B (comparison, n=37) - patients with CIN without HPV persistence after treatment, mean age - 34.43±2.09 years. Results. According to the results of the first HPV genotyping (before treatment) among patients of group 1A there was a predominance of two or more HPV types (34.6% vs 16.2% of patients of group 1B; p0.05). According to the results of the second genotyping (12 months after complex treatment) there was a 3.5-fold prevalence of patients with mono-infection against HPV co-infection in group 1A (p

The Prevalence of Human Papillomavirus Infection in Benign Sinonasal Lesions: A Single-Center Retrospective Analysis

It is suggested that just like cigarette smoking and occupational exposure, HPV plays a significant role in the etiology of benign sinonasal lesions. It is evident through literature review that low-risk HPV types 6 and 11 are usually confined to benign lesions, whereas the reverse is true for the oncogenic HPV types 16 and 18. Our aim was to seek the prevalence and the types of HPV coinfection in a benign head and neck surgical specimen. Benign specimens from head and neck sites with available HPV wide spectrum testing and immunohistochemistry for HPV and p16 were retrospectively reviewed (January 2011 to October 2015). Thirty-seven sinonasal surgical specimens were identified, requiring direct examination and enough changes warranting a biopsy. On histology, these revealed focal viral cytopathic changes, inverted papillomas, squamous hyperplasia, squamous papilloma, and verrucous hyperplasia type of morphology. The results for HPV wide spectrum, HPV 6, 11, 16, 18, 33, 35, and 45, were collected. Thirteen of 37 benign lesions showed positive results for HPV wide spectrum. Two of 13 came out to be positive for HPV 16 with positive p16 staining on immunohistochemistry. The remaining (11/13) cases were positive by HPV wide spectrum for HPV 6 and HPV 11 (n = 7 with HPV 6, n = 4 with HPV 11) showing focal p16 staining. Twenty-one of 37 showed focal p16 staining, which was interpreted as negative. Current studies link HPV to at least a proportion of benign sinonasal papillomas. HPV 6 and HPV 11 seem to be present in a large number (30%) of these benign lesions in our cohort. This corresponds with the available literature (30%-35%). Although two of our cases did show infection with HPV 16, there was no dysplasia identified in the lesion.

Investigation of the Relationship between Breast Cancers ‎and HPVs

High-risk human papillomaviruses (HR-HPVs) ‎have been implicated in ‎the aetiology of a variety of human ‎cancers, including cervical, colorectal, and head and ‎neck ‎‎(HN); also, (HPVs) may be important risk factors for breast ‎carcinogenesis and ‎metastasis. Previous studies that ‎evaluated the prevalence of HPVs in breast cancer ‎have ‎generated considerable controversy. Based on this ‎hypothesis, we aimed to investigate ‎the prevalence of HPV ‎infection in invasive breast cancer tissues. ‎Our study included 80 paraffin ‎blocks taken from breast ‎cancerous tissue specimens of ‎Turkish female patients and 13 controls (cervical ‎cancerous ‎tissue specimens) in Research and Practice Hospital- ‎Sahinbey -Gaziantep ‎University, using PCR (HPV Genotypes ‎‎14 Real-TM Quant / Italy) to detect the HR-‎HPV DNA. ‎In our results: HR-HPV DNA was evidenced in (10%) of the breast ‎cancer and in (92.3%) of ‎the controls (p < 0.05). HPV (45-56-68) were the most prevalent genotypes in ‎breast ‎cancer cases. Also HPV co-infection was high (75%) in ‎positive breast cancerous ‎samples.‎ Our data propose Human papilloma viruses ‎may play a role as a possible ‎causal relationship, or ‎mediation or even as a cofactor in the development of some ‎types ‎of breast cancer, this still needs to be confirmed by prospective studies.

Abstract 3273: rkmh: A MinHash toolbox for analyzing HPV coinfections

Abstract Human papillomaviruses are common infections transmitted by direct physical contact. Two sexually transmitted types, HPV16 and HPV18, are responsible for almost 75% of cervical cancer cases worldwide; another 10 types of &amp;gt;200 known types are considered carcinogenic. Among the four HPV16 lineages (A, B, C, and D), 100-fold differences in odds ratios for adenocarcinoma are observed. It is therefore informative to distinguish between infection with HPV16 lineages, even though they differ by as little as 2% of their genome. We present a computational toolkit, rkmh, for characterizing viral coinfections. rkmh uses kmer matching strategies to rapidly determine the most similar type or lineage reference genome for a given read. The proportion of reads matching each reference genome can then be calculated and the ratios of the infecting viruses can be estimated. To assess the performance of rkmh we first simulated 100bp paired end Illumina read sets from the PAVE database of HPV reference genomes, then also evaluated performance on a real HPV16 sample sequenced on the Ion Torrent Proton platform (typical read length 250bp), and a set of 3,660 Oxford Nanopore minION reads generated from two HPV16 reference strains (typical read length over 6500bp). We demonstrate that rkmh can adequately classify HPV infections at the type and lineage level. We discuss further applications of the tool in metagenomics. rkmh is freely available at https://github.com/edawson/rkmh. Citation Format: Eric T. Dawson, Sarah Wagner, David Roberson, Meredith Yeager, Joseph Boland, Erik Garrison, Mark Schiffman, Tina Raine-Bennet, Thomas Lorey, Phillip Castle, Stephen Chanock, Lisa Mirabello, Richard Durbin. rkmh: A MinHash toolbox for analyzing HPV coinfections [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3273.

HPV genotypes detected by linear array and next-generation sequencing in anal samples from HIV positive men who have sex with men in Mexico.

The incidence of anal cancer has been rising, especially in HIV+ patients and has been associated with HPV infection. HIV+ patients are more at risk of HPV coinfection and are seven times more likely to have persistent HPV infection; moreover, HIV+ men have an increased risk of developing anal cancer compared to HIV+ women. The development of screening strategies for the detection of HPV in HIV+ men is of major importance; however, there is not enough information about the HPV genotypes and variants that are colonizing the anal epithelia of HIV+ men in diverse geographical regions. Therefore, this work was aimed at identifying HPV genotypes present in the anal epithelium of HIV+ men who have sex with men (MSM), with or without anal lesions (n=75). For HPV genotyping, two approaches were performed: Linear Array HPV Genotyping Test and next-generation sequencing (NGS). In general, the six most frequent HPV genotypes found by Linear Array were HPV6, 62, 61, 81, 16 and 51. On the other hand, employing NGS, a total of 36 HPV genotypes belonging to both alpha and beta genera were found. The genotypes with the greatest number of reads, according to the diagnostic group, were: HPV81, 45, 6, 51 and 61 in MSM without anal lesions (WAIN); HPV6, 61, 70, 62 and 66 in MSM with atypical lesions (AAL); HPV6, 11, 66, 81 and 61 in MSM with anal intraepithelial neoplasia grade I (AIN I); and HPV16, 81, 58, 61 and 52 with AIN III. Additionally, a great diversity of L1 variants was observed, especially in genotypes HPV16, 58, 61, 52, 45 and 59.

Co-Infection Prevalence of Herpes Simplex Virus Types 1 and 2 with Human Papillomavirus and Associated Risk Factors among Asymptomatic Women in Ghana

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2) are among the most common human viral infections worldwide and associated with increased risk for other sexually transmitted infections, such as HPV. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of population data on the joint epidemiology of HPV-HSV infections in Ghana. In order to determine the prevalence of HSV-1 and HSV-2 co-infection with HPV and associated risk factors, 317 asymptomatic women attending the Cervicare Centers in Ghana were invited to participate in cross-sectional study. Serum HSV-1 and HSV-2 IgG were determined by ELISA method. Genomic DNA from cervical swabs was extracted using QIAamp Mini kit. HPV-DNA detection was carried out by nested multiplex PCR as was described by Sotlar et al., (2004). The mean age of study participants was 40.7 years (SD ± 11.2). Our result showed the prevalence of HSV-1 and HSV-2 infection among HPV positive women as 98.6% and 80.4% respectively. Among unscreened women participating in the study the co-infection of HSV-1/HPV and HSV-2/HPV was 42.9% and 35.0%, respectively. Age of coitache was associated with sero-prevalence of HSV-1 (p=0.010), HPV infection (p=0.016), and with co-infection HPV and HSV-1 (p=0.025), HPV and HSV-2 (p=0.011) and weakly with single HSV-2 infection (p=0.054). In conclusion, the high prevalence of co-infection was due to the endemicity and inadequate intervention in the study population. A woman’s age of sexual debut was a strong risk factor for co-infection of HPV and HSV-1 or HSV-2. The outcome of this novel observation stresses the urgent need to develop appropriate interventional strategies to manage and cancel patients presenting with asymptomatic genital herpes.

Human Papilloma Virus L1 Gene Methylation as a Potential Biomarker for Precancerous Cervical Lesion: a Preliminary Report

Objective: To determine whether HPV L1 gene methylation can be used in triage of precancerous cervical lesions. The main objective is to determine the genotype of HPV in cervical precancerous lesions and to determine the percentage, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and likelihood ratio of DNA HPV L1 methylation in precancerous cervical lesions.&#x0D; Methods: A number of 57 samples of paraffin blocks (FFPE) from precancerous lesions and cervical cancer biopsies in the Department of Pathology Faculty of Medicine-Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital that had been re-evaluated by the pathologist, underwent extraction of HPV DNA. The genotypes of HPV DNA were examined using primers GP5 / 6 and specific HPV 16, HPV 18 and HPV 52 probes and analyzed by real time PCR. Sequencing was performed on samples with unknown HPV DNA type that were detected using the specific probes to determine the type of HPV. Bisulfite conversion procedure was then performed for the samples that met the inclusion criteria.&#x0D; Results: There were 30 samples (52.6%) with CIN 1, 12 samples (21.1%) CIN 2, 9 samples (15.8%) CIN 3 and 6 samples (10.5%) of cervical cancer. Most of the samples were 36-45 years (35.1%). Of the total 57 samples, 55 samples were successfully extracted and determined the DNA genotyping of HPV (96.5%). HPV 16 infections both in the form of single or multiple was found to be 76.36%. The samples were mostly dominated by co-infection of HPV16 and 18 (49.1%) followed by HPV 16 (24.6%) and HPV 18 (14.0%). Based on the sequencing results there were other types of high risk HPV infection found: HPV 33, HPV 35, HPV 58 and also undeterminate risk HPV 53 and low risk HPV 54. After several procedures of optimization for methylation examination of HPV DNA L1 there was thin band found in electrophoresis procedure in 8 of 42 samples (19%) of HPV 16 after bisulfite conversion but once it was purified there weren’t any band found so we can not proceed to the stage sequencing. Until now we are still in the stage of optimizing the methylation procedure.&#x0D; Conclusion: HPV 16 infection were most commonly found in the form of single or multiple. Co-infection of HPV 16 and 18 were found in the majority of the samples. There were no significant correlation between HPV type and the severity of cervical lesions. Until now, the examination of DNA methylation HPV L1 already obtained eight samples of HPV 16 with a thin band on electrophoresis but the result could not be concluded because it is still in&#x0D; the process of optimization.&#x0D; [Indones J Obstet Gynecol 2017; 5-2: 120-126]&#x0D; Keywords: HPV DNA genotype, L1 gene methylation, precancerous cervical lesions

Prevalence and correlates of cervical HPV infection in a clinic-based sample of HIV-positive Hispanic women

ObjectivesPuerto Rico (PR), is the fifth highest jurisdiction of the United States of America (US) with respect to HIV prevalence and the leading in cervical cancer incidence. This cross-sectional study describes the prevalence and correlates of cervical HPV infection among a clinic-based sample of 302 women living with HIV/AIDS in PR. MethodsData collection included questionnaires, blood and cervical samples. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the magnitude of association (adjusted Prevalence odds ratio [aPOR]) between HPV cervical infection and other covariates. ResultsMean age of participants was 40.3 years (± 10.3SD). The prevalence of HPV infection was 50.3%; 41.1% for low-risk types and 29.5% for high-risk types. Having ≥ 10 lifetime sexual partners (aPOR = 2.10, 95% CI:1.02–4.29), an abnormal Pap (aPOR = 3.58, 95% CI:1.93–6.62), active genital warts (aPOR = 3.45, 95% CI:1.60–7.42), and CD4 counts ≤ 200 (aPOR = 4.24, 95% CI: 1.67–10.78) were positively associated with any cervical HPV infection. Similar results were observed for HR HPV infection. ConclusionsA high burden of HPV co-infection exists among women living with HIV/AIDS in this population. Given the high incidence of HIV in PR and the higher risk of cervical cancer among women living with HIV/AIDS, HPV vaccination should be promoted in this population.

Pregnancy Risk, Contraception and Sexually Transmitted Infections in the Transgender Patient [4F

INTRODUCTION: Reproductive risk assessment, STI prevention and contraception counseling represent an emerging challenge in the transgender population. Despite increased awareness of transgender healthcare needs, provider templates of care based on evidence based data that address the reproductive healthcare needs of transgender individuals are limited. METHODS: We performed a literature search using Pub Med, Scopus and Google Scholar between 2010-2016. Search terms used included transgender, pregnancy, contraception, and STI. Of the six relevant articles, three were cross sectional surveys and three were retrospective cohort studies. RESULTS: Among transgender youth, contraception use did not differ between those at risk for pregnancy vs those not at risk. As expected, sexual activity was associated with higher STI risk. Positive HIV status did not differ in transmen compared to transwomen: overall HIV prevalence was higher in the trans vs non-trans population. Unprotected sex may be a factor with STI. In one study, 88% of transmen reported using no protection. Further, pregnancy appears to be desired in select transmen, as one study noted that 68% in their cohort had a planned gestation while 32% had an unplanned one. CONCLUSION: There are limited data to formulate guidelines regarding pregnancy, STI counseling and contraceptive management of transgender individuals. Both pregnancy risk/desire exists in this population and should be a counseling topic. In addition, contraceptive and STI counseling is essential during all clinical encounters. For those at risk for HPV coinfection continued gynecological surveillance should be part of their preventive health management.

Chlamydia trachomatis and HPV co-infections in HIV negative men from a multi-ethnic area of Northern Italy at high prevalence of cervical malignancies.

Chlamydia trachomatis and HPV coinfections in the male population are often a disregarded issue. We performed a study to evaluate the prevalence of such infections in heterosexual HIV negative men from a Northern Italy multi-ethnic area at high prevalence for cervical malignancies. Urethral swabs (US) or first-voided urine were evaluated retrospectively from 1317 patients attending Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) clinic and from 3388 outpatients attending private clinics. Informations about participants' demographic characteristics and attributes of C. trachomatis, including chronic infection, and HPV genotypes testing, were collected. Exact Fisher test, bivariate, and multivariate logistic regressions were carried out. The prevalence of C. trachomatis was 1.7% in the outpatients and 16.9% in the STI group (P < 0.0001) in which the highest frequency was observed in men of age ≤25 years. Among patients with C. trachomatis, asymptomatic HPV co-infection was detected in 33% of men from the STI clinic and in 2% of the outpatients. Out of all coinfections, 56% were due to single HPV, with a prevalence of 73% in young STI men. The distribution of HPV genotypes confirmed the increased circulation of LR-HPV42, HR-HPV51, HR-HPV52 and prHR-HPV82, and the decreasing of HR-HPV16. African nationalities and leucorrhea were significantly associated risk factors, while the regular condom use offered an effective protection. This study highlights the high prevalence of C. trachomatis and HPV asymptomatic co-infection in young HIV negative men attending the STI clinic, representing a reservoir of new HPV genotypes with potential oncogenic risk.

Genital Tract Infections in an Isolated Community: 100 Women of the Príncipe Island.

Objective To characterize the vaginal microbiome and the rate of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the women of Príncipe (São Tomé and Príncipe). Methods Cross-sectional study of 100 consecutive women, invited for a free appointment and cervical cancer screening. A vaginal slide (wet mount microscopy) and a cervical sample (ThinPrep®) (Pap test, high risk human papillomavirus [HR-HPV], N. gonorrhea [NG], T. vaginalis [TV], and C. trachomatis [CT]) were obtained. Results TV, NG, CT, and HIV were found in 8.0%, 2.0%, 3.0%, and 2.0%, respectively, and were more prevalent in younger women. HR-HPV was positive in 36.7%; 2 were positive for HPV18, but none for HPV16. Coinfection of HPV with other STIs was 8.3%. Prevalence of abnormal vaginal flora (AVF) was 82.5%, mostly bacterial vaginosis (BV) 54.6%, and moderate/severe aerobic vaginitis (msAV) 25.8%. HR-HPV was not related to BV (p = 0.67). The association of abnormal Pap test with msAV was not significant (p = 0.08). Conclusion The prevalence of NG, CT, TV, and HR-HPV was according to expected, while that of HR-AVF was higher. The surprisingly low prevalence of HPV16 and HPV18 must be considered in the design of programs for prevention and vaccination; this setting can be useful as a model for postvaccination scenarios.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Human Papillomavirus Co-Infection in Pregnant Woman

Summary Among HIV-infected women prevalence and incidence of HPV infection are higher, and the risk for developing cervical cancer is increased. We present a case of HIV and HPV co-infection in woman with invasive cervical cancer and cervical and vaginal condyloma acuminata in association with vaginal bleeding during pregnancy.

Human papillomavirus promotes Epstein-Barr virus maintenance and lytic reactivation in immortalized oral keratinocytes

Epstein-Barr virus and human papillomaviruses are human tumor viruses that infect and replicate in upper aerodigestive tract epithelia and cause head and neck cancers. The productive phases of both viruses are tied to stratified epithelia highlighting the possibility that these viruses may affect each other's life cycles. Our lab has established an in vitro model system to test the effects of EBV and HPV co-infection in stratified squamous oral epithelial cells. Our results indicate that HPV increases maintenance of the EBV genome in the co-infected cells and promotes lytic reactivation of EBV in upper layers of stratified epithelium. Expression of the HPV oncogenes E6 and E7 were found to be necessary and sufficient to account for HPV-mediated lytic reactivation of EBV. Our findings indicate that HPV increases the capacity of epithelial cells to support the EBV life cycle, which could in turn increase EBV-mediated pathogenesis in the oral cavity.

Chlamydia trachomatis Frequency in a Cohort of HPV-Infected Colombian Women.

BackgroundChlamydia trachomatis (C. trachomatis), an obligate intracellular bacterium, is the commonest infectious bacterial agent of sexual transmission throughout the world. It has been shown that the presence of this bacteria in the cervix represents a risk regarding HPV persistence and, thereafter, in developing cervical cancer (CC). Prevalence rates may vary from 2% to 17% in asymptomatic females, depending on the population being analysed. This study reports the identification of C. trachomatis in a cohort of 219 HPV-infected Colombian females.MethodsC. trachomatis infection frequency was determined during each of the study’s follow-up visits; it was detected by amplifying the cryptic plasmid sequence by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using two sets of primers: KL5/KL6 and KL1/KL2.Infection was defined as a positive PCR result using either set of primers at any time during the study. Cox proportional risk models were used for evaluating the association between the appearance of infection and a group of independent variables.ResultsBase line C. trachomatis infection frequency was 28% (n = 61). Most females infected by C. trachomatis were infected by multiple types of HPV (77.42%), greater prevalence occurring in females infected with HPV-16 (19.18%), followed by HPV-58 (17.81%). It was observed that females having had the most sexual partners (HR = 6.44: 1.59–26.05 95%CI) or infection with multiple types of HPV (HR = 2.85: 1.22–6.63 95%CI) had the greatest risk of developing C. trachomatis.ConclusionsThe study provides data regarding the epidemiology of C. trachomatis /HPV coinfection in different population groups of Colombian females and contributes towards understanding the natural history of C. trachomatis infection.