Human Papillomavirus Serotypes Research Articles

Human papillomavirus vaccines: organisation and experience of preclinical studies

INTRODUCTION. Vaccination is the main measure for the primary prevention of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related diseases. The development of novel vaccine candidates is underway worldwide, including in the Russian Federation. At the same time, the clinical introduction of new HPV vaccines is seriously hampered by the lack of clear and unambiguous recommendations for conducting preclinical studies of these vaccines.AIM. This study aimed to analyse regulatory documents on HPV vaccines, to study the experience of conducting preclinical studies, and to summarise the preclinical approaches that could be recommended for developers and applicants seeking approval for new preventive HPV vaccines, including the vaccines being developed in the Russian Federation.DISCUSSION. The authors have analysed regulatory documents issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH), and the Council of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC). Additionally, the authors have reviewed the experimental results of preclinical studies of HPV vaccines. The known licensed and pipeline HPV vaccines are similar in terms of their characteristics and constructive features. However, there may be some differences in the HPV serotype coverage and the methods used to produce the HPV L1 capsid protein. To date, studies have confirmed the role of the HPV L1 capsid protein in the development of specific immunity, rendering challenge tests in animal models unnecessary. Papillomatosis modelling may be required for choosing an alternative immunological target or for studying an alternative (non-parenteral) route for vaccine administration. Preclinical study programmes may be supplemented with individual stages of comprehensive assessment of adjuvants and other additives included in novel HPV vaccine compositions.CONCLUSIONS. The authors have studied the international experience and presented a systemic overview of the methods and approaches used in preclinical studies of HPV vaccines. The authors have formulated recommendations for developers for the planning and organisation of preclinical studies of HPV vaccines (including immunogenicity, toxicity, and local tolerance assessments required for licensing new vaccines).

Detection of male genital schistosomiasis (MGS) associated with human, zoonotic and hybrid schistosomes in Southern Malawi

BackgroundMale Genital Schistosomiasis (MGS) remains an often-overlooked chronic sequela of urogenital schistosomiasis in endemic areas of sub-Saharan Africa. As part of a 2-year longitudinal study on Hybridization of UroGenital Schistosomiasis (HUGS) in Malawi, a MGS sub-study was conducted to assess whether hybrid schistosomes were incriminated.MethodsDuring recruitment, demographic, health and socio-economic data were collected through individual questionnaire interviews in Mthawira community from Nsanje District along Shire River and Samama community from Mangochi District along Lake Malawi shoreline. Urine and semen samples were collected and analysed to determine the identity of schistosome infection. Urine filtration and microscopy, direct microscopy of semen and its sediments (after centrifugation) were performed. Thereafter, the sediments were examined by molecular DNA analysis with a novel two-tube real-time PCR assay. The participants were also screened for Human papilloma virus (HPV) and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).ResultsTwenty-two men were recruited for the sub-study, 8 in Nsanje District and 14 in Mangochi District, with a median age of 22.0 years. By microscopy, ten (45.7%) participants had Schistosoma ova in their urine, 11 (50.0%) in semen while 16 (72.7%) were positive by real-time PCR. One participant had both S. haematobium and S. mattheei ova in his semen, three showed symptoms, and one had a mixed infection of S. mansoni and possible S. haematobium-S. mattheei hybrid. Twelve men had detectable high-risk HPV serotypes 16, 18 and others while six had Trichomonas vaginalis and other STIs.ConclusionZoonotic and hybrid schistosomes can cause MGS similar to human schistosomes, which can be co-infected with HPV and STIs, thereby posing a new challenge in diagnosis, management and control measures in resource poor settings. Increased awareness of these infections among local communities and primary healthcare workers and improvement of disease management are needed and advocated.

Low Detection of High-risk Human Papilloma Virus in Individuals with Ameloblastoma in a Tertiary Hospital in Lagos, Nigeria.

Ameloblastoma is a benign but aggressive epithelial odontogenic neoplasm of unknown etiology. The role of human papilloma virus (HPV) in the etiology of oral squamous cell carcinoma has prompted the investigation of HPV as an etiologic factor in ameloblastoma. This study aimed to determine the frequency of high-risk (HR) HPV in conventional ameloblastoma and the clinical parameters associated with infection. The study was approved by the ethical review boards of the institution. DNA was extracted from fresh tissue collected 750 μL of DNA/RNA Shield (Zymo Research, United States) using Invitrogen PureLink Viral RNA/DNA Mini Kit (Invitrogen, USA). The extracted DNA was assayed for the detection of 14 HR HPV types (16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 66, and 68) using Anyplex™ II HPV HR Detection kit (Cat. No. HP7E00X) (Seegene Inc., Republic of Korea) on CFX-96TM Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) System (Bio-Rad). Data on gender, age of patient, site of lesion, clinicohistological types of ameloblastoma and history of smoking, alcohol consumption, and practice of oral sex were collected. Data analysis was performed using analysis program SPSS version 25 and statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Two cases of conventional ameloblastoma were positive with HPV and none of the ameloblastic carcinoma cases were positive. The HPV 16 serotype was observed in both cases. While 5 of the cases had a history of alcohol consumption, none of these cases were positive for HPV serotype. HPV 16 positivity was detected in two cases of conventional ameloblastomas and none in ameloblastic carcinoma using real-time PCR. There was no effect of exposure to smoking, alcohol consumption, and practice of oral sex and HPV in the etiology of ameloblastoma. Data available are suggestive of a limited role of HPV in the etiology of ameloblastoma.

Designing of a novel and potent HPV66 L1 major capsid protein-epitope based therapeutic vaccine against Human Papillomavirus (HPV): A bioinformatics approach

Aim: Oncogenic human papillomaviruses (HPV) cause various types of cancer, including cervical cancer. The main protein of HPV is capsid, targeted in many vaccine attempts. However, these vaccines do not cover enough high-risk HPV serotypes. Therefore, a low-cost potential HPV vaccine to protect against all serovars of the α-papillomaviruses family would be promising in the future. Our study aimed to develop a therapeutic epitope vaccine for HPV using bioinformatics methods. Methodology: Bioinformatics approach was followed to analyze and identify potential T-cell and B-cell dominant epitopes of HPV-66 L1 major capsid protein. Additionally, various aspects of this protein were examined, including its physico-chemical properties, and secondary and tertiary structures. These analyses helped us to design an effective HPV infection therapeutic vaccine. Results: The findings revealed that the L1 major capsid protein was unstable and hydrophilic. The secondary structure of this protein composed 39% α- helices, 17.97% β sheets and 31.80% loops. Our study demonstrated 19 dominant epitopes of HPV-66 L1 major capsid protein including 5 B-cell epitopes and 14 T-cell epitopes (10 HTL epitopes, and 4 CTL epitopes) for a novel vaccine candidate. Interpretation: This study provides a comprehensive biological information about the HPV-66 L1 major capsid protein, which will serve as a theoretical foundation for developing a multi-epitope vaccine against HPV infection. Key words: B-cell epitope, Cervical Cancer, Human papillomavirus, HPV66 L1 major capsid protein, T-cell epitope

Florid vulvar warts in a 39-year-old human immunodeficiency virus-positive woman: A case report

Condyloma acuminata are human papillomavirus (HPV) infections frequently caused by HPV serotypes 6 and 11 that affect both sexes and are particularly infectious, recurrent, and negatively impact the quality of life of affected individuals. It is linked with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), is usually more aggressive and florid, and occurs at multiple sites with prevailing treatment difficulties in HIV-positive individuals. We present a curious case of florid vulvar warts in a 39-year-old HIV-positive woman.

Human papillomavirus serotypes and determinants among women with invasive cervical cancer in Katsina state, Northwest-Nigeria: a multicentre study.

Cervical cancer is the leading cause of gynaecological cancer death among women in developing countries and the most preventable of all gynaecological cancers as its infectious aetiological agent, human papillomavirus (HPV), is known. The knowledge of HPV serotype distribution in a sub-region is key to the implementation of an appropriate HPV vaccination programme. To assess the prevalence of HPV-DNA, serotypes and risk-determinants among women with invasive cervical cancer (ICC) in Katsina State, Northwestern Nigeria. This was a cross-sectional, multicenter study involving Federal Teaching Hospital Katsina, General Hospital Katsina and Turai Yar'adua Maternal and Child Hospital Katsina, Nigeria. Sixty-three women with histologically confirmed cervical cancer who fulfilled the criteria were recruited into the study. Tissue blocks with a confirmed diagnosis of ICC were taken to DNA Labs Kaduna for HPV-deoxyribonucleotide acid detection and typing. An interviewer-administered questionnaire developed for the study was used to obtain socio-demographic, reproductive characteristics and the other risk factors for HPV acquisition and persistence. The HPV-positivity rate in ICC was 95.5% while the prevalence of high-risk HPV (Hr-HPV)-DNA in the specimen was 54.6% with 13 HPV-serotypes detected, 9 Hr-HPV types (16,18,31,33,35,45,51,56,82) and 4 low-risk HPV types (6,44,81,89). The most commonly detected HPV serotype among women with a single HPV infection was HPV 81 (40.9%) followed by HPV 16 (28.8%). However, HPV 16 was the most common serotype among those with multiple HPV infections. Prevalence of other detected serotypes were HPV 31 (24.2%), 33 (24.2%), HPV 18 (10.6%), HPV 35 (3.0%), HPV 45 (9.1%), HPV 44 (1.5%), HPV 51 (3.0%), HPV 56 (3.0%), HPV 82 (1.5%), HPV 89 (1.5%) and HPV 6 (1.5%). Forty-four out of 63 women (69.8%) had a single HPV infection, 19 (30.2%) had multiple HPV infections and 15 (24.3%) were co-infected with HPV 16/31/33. There was a statistically significant association between HPV 16 and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The study demonstrates a prevalence of HPV-DNA as 95.5% among women with ICC. The most commonly detected HPV serotype was HPV 81 seen in 41% which was an uncommon finding. Furthermore, statistically significant associations between HPV serotypes 16 and 82 with SCC were detected.

Prevalence of Precancerous Lesions Based on Digital Cervicography with VIA/VILI among Women Positive for High-Risk Human Papillomavirus Serotypes: A Screening Center-Based Study in Cameroon

Prevalence of Precancerous Lesions Based on Digital Cervicography with VIA/VILI among Women Positive for High-Risk Human Papillomavirus Serotypes: A Screening Center-Based Study in Cameroon

Prevalence of High-Risk Human Papillomavirus Serotypes and Confrontation with Available Vaccine Antigens: The Case of Cameroon

Prevalence of High-Risk Human Papillomavirus Serotypes and Confrontation with Available Vaccine Antigens: The Case of Cameroon

Association of Bacterial Composition and Diversity in the Cervical Tumor Microbiome with HPV Genotype in a Large, International Patient Cohort

Tumor bacterial composition is strongly associated with response to cancer therapy, and is impacted by environment, including geography. Human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypic diversity composition and load are dynamic during pelvic radiation (RT) and correlate with differential responses to RT in cervical cancer patients. In this multi-institutional, collaborative study, we aimed to explore associations between bacterial composition, HPV serotypes, and geographical distribution in an international patient population. Cervical swabs were collected from 287 patients diagnosed with cervical cancer/ dysplasia in four locations: Houston, USA (TX; N = 94), Ethiopia (ETH; N = 85), Puerto Rico (PR; N = 71), and Botswana (BOT; N = 37). Swabs were collected prior to treatment and were subjected to 16S V4 rRNA gene sequencing and HPV genotyping. We compared HPV types and geography via Chi-squared test. We analyzed bacterial composition, alpha diversity (ANOVA), and beta diversity (principal coordinates analysis [PCoA] with PERMANOVA) for HPV type and geography. We used Linear Discriminant Effect Size (LEfSe) analysis to distinguish taxa associated with HPV types. Overall, the global bacterial composition for patients with cancer or dysplasia did not significantly vary by location. However, the proportion of patients with each HPV type varied by location (p<0.01); HPV16 was most frequent in TX (54%), BOT (70%) and ETH (61%), while HPV18 was most frequent in PR (62%). The proportion of patients with HPV low-risk/negative tumors was highest in ETH (25%) compared to other sites (2% - 14%). Patients with HPV 16 had significantly higher bacterial alpha diversity across locations (all p<0.01). The bacterial composition also differed by HPV type across locations (p = 0.01). On LEfSe, bacterial genera enriched in HPV 16 samples were Bacteroides, Clostridium, and Prevotella. Non-HPV16 tumors were enriched in species of Lactobacillus and Gardnerella and HPV 18 and high-risk type tumors were enriched in Escherichia. In thislarge, international cohort of cervical cancer and dysplasia patients, bacterial composition was more closely associated with cervical HPV genotype than with geography. This finding has implications for the development of biomarkers and interventions aimed at improving chemotherapy and radiation response through manipulation of the microbiome.

Biological, demographic, and health factors associated with HPV infection in Ecuadorian women.

The study aims to identify the correlation between human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and sociodemographic and sexual reproductive health factors in Ecuadorian women from March to August 2019. 120 women were randomly selected from two gynecological clinics to complete a questionnaire and provide a biospecimen. PCR-Hybridization was used to genotype 37 HPV serotypes in samples obtained by endo-cervical brushing for liquid-based cytology. Sociodemographic and sexual health data were collected through a validated questionnaire during a medical consultation. Mathematical modeling of HPV infection was done using bivariate logistic regression. 65.0% of the women sampled had an HPV infection; 74.3% of these women had co-infections with other HPV genotypes. Out of the women who were HPV positive, 75.6% were diagnosed with high-risk genotypes from HPV strains 18, 35, 52, and 66. Parity, immunosuppression, and use of oral contraception/intrauterine devices (IUDs) were identified as associated variables. The explanatory model had a sensitivity of 89.5% and a specificity of 73.8%. The predominant strains of HPV among Ecuadorian women are diverse. The risk of HPV infection is a complex phenomenon where biological and psychosocial variables are integrated into a model. In populations with limited access to health services, low socioeconomic status, and negative sociocultural beliefs about sexually transmitted infections (STIs), surveys can be used as a pre-screening step for HPV infections. The diagnostic value of the model should be tested in multicenter studies that include women from all over the country.

Seroprevalence of Human Papillomavirus Infection among Female Sex Workers in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Southern India

Introduction: Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) are generally acquired through sexual contact, and the risk is very high for Female Sex Workers (FSWs). The most common STI in FSWs is Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Majority of the HPV infection is asymptomatic, while a minority of the infection is responsible for causing cervical cancer. High-Risk HPV (HR-HPV) serotypes, HPV 16 and HPV 18, are known to cause cervical cancer. Aim: To determine the seroprevalence of HPV infection among FSWs attending STD clinic at a tertiary care hospital in Southern India. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was done during the period between September 2015 and August 2016 in a total of 65 FSWs in Govt. Stanley Medical College, a tertiary care hospital in Chennai, Southern India. The serum was separated after 5 mL of blood was drawn to test for the presence of HPV 16 and 18, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), and syphilis. Endocervical and vaginal swab specimens were taken to look for the presence of other STIs. Necessary socio-demographic and clinical information such as mode of sex, any sexual exposure, extramarital or premarital, protected sex or not, history of associated STIs, and any history of blood transfusion, i.v. drug abuse, or surgery was also obtained. Statistical analysis was done using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 20.0 software. Probability value (p-value) &lt;0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Analysis of the blood samples showed that four samples were found positive for HPV infection, while two samples each were positive for HIV and syphilis. Analysis of the swab specimens showed the presence of other associated STIs in 20 samples. Among the four HPV positive samples, three were found positive for HPV 16, and one was positive for HPV 18. Risk factors such as age, marital status, HIV, and syphilis had a very strong association with HPV infection (p-value&lt;0.01). Conclusion: The prevalence of HR-HPV serotype HPV 16 was higher than HPV 18. Hence, education about STIs, safer sexual practices, and HPV vaccination are essential in this population in order to prevent the transmission of infection to the general population.

Changes in the Rate of Human Papilloma Virus Serotypes after Vaccine Implementation: A Descriptive Study

Changes in the Rate of Human Papilloma Virus Serotypes after Vaccine Implementation: A Descriptive Study

The relation between human papilloma virus serotype infection and colposcopic, cytological and histopathological abnormalities among the Egyptian women: retrospective study

The relation between human papilloma virus serotype infection and colposcopic, cytological and histopathological abnormalities among the Egyptian women: retrospective study

Role of Human Papilloma Virus in the Aetiology of Sinonasal Cancers.

Sino nasal carcinogenesis is attributed to numerous factors, namely tobacco, alcohol and snuff as the most common. Human Papilloma virus (HPV) has been associated with aetiopathogenesis of malignancies in the upper aerodigestive tract (UADT). The prevalence of HPV in Sino-nasal malignancy (SNM) which is closely related to UADT in location is not known. Hence, this study aims to explore if there is any such association between HPV and Sino nasal malignancies. This study aims to explore the association between HPV and SNM. A prospective case control study using tumour tissue specimens from 40 Sinonasal carcinoma patients and benign nasal tissue specimens from 50 cancer-free controls were conducted. Histopathological analysis and DNA extraction (DNeasy® Tissue kit) and polymerase chain reaction for detection of HPV was done. Positive samples underwent sequencing to detect the HPV serotype and statistical correlation was performed using SPSS software. All 90 patients were tested for HPV and we found that none of the patients had any association with HPV. Sino-Nasal malignancy in the Indian Sub-continent may not be related to HPV primarily.

Особенности мазков Папаниколау у женщин репродуктивного периода жизни с папилломавирусом 16, 18

Introduction. According to modern data, cervical diseases do not occur by chance. Precancerous lesions vary from person to person and become invasive over time. The need for specific diagnostic methods for early detection of cervical cancer in women of reproductive age always remains relevant. Over the years, numerous diagnostic, cytological and histological studies have been carried out to identify malignant lesions of the cervix. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a widespread sexually transmitted infection that affects both women and men around the world and plays an important role in the development of cervical disease. It is the most common sexually transmitted virus in the United States of America. For the first time in 1942, Papanicolaou emphasized the possibility of using smears (PAP smears) from the cervix and from the vagina to diagnose cervical disease. PAP preparations of smears are mainly multilayered flat epithelial cells of the ectocervix and vagina, endocervical cylindrical cells, including mononuclear and polynuclear inflammatory cells that enter the vagina through diapedesis from the surface of the epithelial layer, mixing with the mucoid fluid produced by the endocervical epithelial fluid. Purpose — using objective criteria for cytological examination to identify neoplastic changes in the cervix. Materials and methods. The study included 100 women of reproductive age (18–45 years old) during 2015–2020. Of these, 20 were in the control group (group I — control) and 80 — in the high-risk group for cervical cancer (group II — the main group). Group II women were also divided into 2 subgroups: II A — with pathology of the cervix (n=41), II B — without pathology of the cervix (n=39). The study included patients with a positive result on HPV 16/18 including patients whose PAP smears revealed intracellular damage. Pap smears were included in the study according to the following criteria. The smears contained a sufficient number of squamous epithelial cells and their integrity was preserved. Endocervical cells were monitored in all PAP smears. The examination was carried out with at least 5 cells in each, not completely, and with 2 clusters of endocervical glandular or squamous metaplastic cells. Squamous epithelial cells covered at least 10% of the preparation. Bloody, technically artifactic preparations without clinical data have not been studied. The deficit rate did not exceed 3%, and high interest rates on artifacts were not included in the study. Despite the small number of cells in the presence of abnormal cells, this was unequivocally considered sufficient. Results. Interpretation of PAP smear results identified n=35 ASCUS patients, n=24 LSIL, n=21 HSIL patients in the PAP smear positive reproductive age group. HPV serotypes 16.18 were found in 24 of these patients. In women of the II B subgroup, no pathological changes in the cervix were observed. Conclusions. In women of reproductive age with positive HPV 16, 18, for the diagnosis of precancerous diseases of the cervix, taking pap smears is an integral part of the study. As a result of the study, it was revealed that, despite the absence of a clinical picture, pathological changes at the cell level are detected. Key words: HPV16, 18, ASCUS, LSIL, HSIL, PAP.

Argonaute with stepwise endonuclease activity promotes specific and multiplex nucleic acid detection

Argonaute proteins (Agos) from thermophiles function as endonucleases via guide-target base-pairing cleavage for host defense. Since guides play a key role in regulating the catalytic specificity of Agos, elucidating its underlying molecular mechanisms would promote the application of Agos in the medical sciences. Here, we reveal that an Ago from Pyrococcus furiosus (PfAgo) showed a stepwise endonuclease activity, which was demonstrated through a double-stranded DNA cleavage directed by a single guide DNA (gDNA) rather than a canonical pair of gDNAs. We validated that the cleavage products with 5'-phosphorylated ends can be used as a new guide to induce a new round of cleavage. Based on the reprogrammable capacity of Ago’s stepwise activity, we established a rapid and specific platform for unambiguous multiplex gene detection, termed Renewed-gDNA Assisted DNA cleavage by Argonaute (RADAR). Combined with a pre-amplification step, RADAR achieved sensitivity at the femtomolar level and specificity with at least a di-nucleotide resolution. Furthermore, RADAR simultaneously discriminated among multiple target sequences simply by corresponding multiple guides. We successfully distinguished four human papillomavirus serotypes from patient samples in a single reaction. Our technique, based on the unique properties of Ago, provides a versatile and sensitive method for molecular diagnosis.

A Case of Myopericarditis and the HPV vaccine

Introduction: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the underlying etiology of numerous cancers and genital warts in both males and females. Vaccines were developed against HPV to prevent transmission and arrest development of cancers caused by the virus. Gardasil 9â is the newest vaccine, covering 9 serotypes of HPV and is recommended by the CDC for both males and females over 9 years of age in a series of vaccinations. Myopericarditis (including myocarditis and pericarditis) is not reported as an adverse reaction in the Gardasil 9â package insert. Case Report A healthy 18-year-old male with no significant past medical or social history received dose number 3 of HPV vaccine at his physician’s office. Within 24 hours, he developed chills and a fever (normal HPV reactions) and then recovered without sequelae within 48 hours. Three days later, he developed crushing chest pain, with arm tingling and jaw pain. He was triaged directly to the emergency room where he had troponins of greater than 11000 and T wave inversions on his EKG. Other diagnostic tests and labs showed normal heart anatomy and no early coronary artery disease. He was diagnosed with myopericarditis by cardiology. He was treated and recovered fully within 3 months. Discussion Using the WHO tool for adverse vaccine reactions, this case has a consistent causal relationship with vaccination. This is the eleventh case of myopericarditis reported to the Vaccine Adverse Effects Reporting system for the HPV vaccine. Conclusion Although rare, myopericarditis should be considered as a possible adverse effect from the human papillomavirus vaccine.

1528. Prevalence of Human Papillomavirus Infection and Cervical Intra-Epithelial Lesions in A Subset of Arab American Women in Southeast Michigan

BackgroundThe Pap smear is a screening examination that detects abnormal cervical cells and may be paired with human papillomavirus (HPV) testing in order to detect high-risk, oncogenic HPV strains. The incidence of cervical cancer varies among groups due to racial and ethnic disparities, and 80% of cases occur in developing countries. Mortality rates for cervical cancer in the Middle East are disproportionately higher when compared to developed countries. Our study aims to assess the prevalence of HPV and cervical cancer among a subset of Arab-American women in southeast Michigan.MethodsThe study is a retrospective chart review of women who presented for routine cancer screening as part of the Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program (BCCCP), at the Arab-American Center for Economic and Social Services Clinic in southeast Michigan between 2003-2019. Paper charts were reviewed for information such as age, date of birth, monthly income, tobacco use, cervix-related gynecological examination performance, cervical cytology results, and HPV testing results. Women between the ages of 21 and 65 were included. In instances where cytology was performed, results and details of high-risk HPV testing were documented. In instances where high-risk HPV testing was performed, negative results were documented as such, and positive results were documented as either positive for HPV 16, 18, or other high-risk strains, or unknown if serotype testing was not available.ResultsA total of 464 charts from the BCCCP program were reviewed. All women included were uninsured and had immigrated from Middle Eastern countries, including Yemen and Lebanon. The average age of the women was 48.3 years. Of 464 women, 6% (n=28) of women declined to have a Pap smear. 85 women reported they had never had a Pap smear. Of the 436 women who did undergo Pap smear, 42 women (9.6%) had an abnormal pap smear. The remaining results are summarized in Table 1.Table 1 ConclusionOur study results show a trend toward HPV serotype 16 and other serotypes compared to HPV serotype 18 in Arab-American women who recently immigrated to the United States. However, this needs to be studied on a larger cohort of patients to determine if these serotypes are more common among this ethnicity compared to the general population.DisclosuresMarcus Zervos, MD, Melinta Therapeutics (Grant/Research Support)

Distribution of Lactobacillus species in Iranian women with both human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and bacterial vaginosis (BV)

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common cause of abnormal vaginal discharge for women of childbearing age. Despite many confirming surveys, which proved the relationship between BV and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, but this remains a matter of debate. The objective of this original article is to clarify BV is associated with HPV infection in Iranian women by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) method. The vaginal swabs of seventy-five women (55 and 20 samples from patients and controls, respectively) with and without manifestation of HPV were collected during February 2018 and December 2018, and extracted DNA was assayed by real-time PCR looking for the HPV serotypes and bacterial load by using bacterial 16S rRNA gene. A total of 55 cervical, 13 (23.4%) isolates were HPV-negative, and 42 (76.4%) isolates were HPV-positive. In total, 83.3% of HPV-positive isolates had BV infection. The hotspot of incidence with BV is between the ages of 26–34 years. Although, we can see there are low frequency of Lactobacillus spp. in HPV 16 patients among other groups but unfortunately, we can't approve it with significant value (P-value >0.05). Lactobacillus gasseri and Lactobacillus jensenii showed higher colony count in BV women that infected with Gardnerella vaginalis than healthy women. The number of L. gasseri and L. rhamnosus are directly related to reducing the risk of HPV infection (P-value <0.05). To sum up, this study show that there was no statistically significant relationship between BV and/or HPV with Lactobacillus species.

The Association of Human Papillomavirus in Benign and Malignant Laryngeal Lesions-a Pilot Study.

Various etiological factors have been described in laryngeal carcinogenesis. Tobacco and alcohol play a major role in the development of laryngeal cancers. However, recently there has been an overshadowing of association of human papillomavirus infection in laryngeal cancers. The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) in malignant laryngeal lesions. This is a case control study. We conducted this study using tumor tissue specimens from 30 laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma patients and benign laryngeal tissue specimens from 30 cancer-free controls. The specimens from the lesion were sent to histopathological analysis as well as DNA extraction (DNeasy® Tissue kit) and polymerase chain reaction for detection of HPV. Positive samples underwent sequencing to detect the HPV serotype. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software. All 30 benign laryngeal lesion specimens were negative for the HPV DNA, while 4 of the 30 (7.5%) squamous cell carcinoma lesions were positive. One was HPV 16 and another one HPV 11. Two positive cases were not able to be sequenced probably due to low viral load. Our study suggests that the proportion of laryngeal squamous cell carcinomas attributable to infection by HPV seems to be low. Further prospective studies should be conducted with a larger group of patients to confirm the role of HPV in laryngeal cancers especially in treatment response and survival.