Papillomavirus Infection In Women Research Articles

Epidemiology of human papillomavirus infection in women from Xiamen, China, 2013 to 2023.

Cervical cancer is primarily caused by HPV infection. The epidemiology of HPV infection in specific areas is of great meaning of guide cervical cancer screening and formulating HPV vaccination strategies. Here, we evaluated the epidemiological characteristics of HPV infection in Xiamen population. In total, 159,049 cervical exfoliated cell samples collected from female outpatients in Women and Children's Hospital, School of Medicine, Xiamen between January 2013 and July 2023 were analyzed. HPV DNA detection was performed using HPV genotyping kits (Hybribio Limited Corp, China). An analysis was conducted on the prevalence of HPV infection, taking into account factors such as age, year, and multiple patterns of HPV infection. The differences in prevalence among age groups and years were compared using χ2 test. The overall prevalence of any 21 HPV genotypes was 18.4%, of which the high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) positive rate was 14.6%. The age-specific prevalence of HPV infection showed a bimodal distribution, with two distinct peaks, one at <25 years (31.2%) and the other at 60-64 years (32.9%). There was a downward trend in the prevalence of HPV infection over time, decreasing from 26.2% in 2013 to 14.5% in 2021, and then increasing to 19.0% in 2023. The five most prevent HR-HPV genotypes were HPV52 (4.0%), 58 (2.6%), 16 (2.5%), 51 (1.8%), and 39 (1.7%). Among the positive cases, 76.7% were detected with only one genotype and 23.3% with multiple genotypes. The most common co-infection was HPV52 + HPV58 (0.24%), followed by HPV16 + HPV52 (0.24%), HPV52 + HPV53 (0.21%), HPV52 + HPV81 (0.21%), HPV51 + HPV52 (0.19%), HPV16 + HPV58 (0.18%), and HPV39 + HPV52 (0.17%). The study provided the largest scale information on the recent epidemiological characteristics of HPV infection in Xiamen, and even in Fujian Province, China, which would support making the prevention and control strategies for cervical cancer in the region.

Factors influencing the intention to engage in cervical cancer preventive behavior in human papillomavirus-infected women: a cross-sectional survey.

This study investigated the influence of cervical cancer knowledge, human papillomavirus (HPV) knowledge, self-efficacy, and uncertainty on the intention to engage in cervical cancer preventive behavior in HPV-infected women. This descriptive correlational study was conducted among 129 adult women aged 20 to 65 years who received positive HPV results at a general hospital in Changwon, Korea. The dataset was analyzed using descriptive statistics, the independent t-test, analysis of variance, the Pearson correlation coefficient, and multiple regression. The mean score for the intention to engage in cervical cancer preventive behavior was high (4.43±0.65). This intention was significantly different according to age at first sexual intercourse (F=7.38, p=.001), HPV type (F=4.79, p=.010), vaccination (t=3.19, p=.002), and condom use (t=3.03, p=.003). The intention to engage in cervical cancer preventive behavior showed significant, weak-to-moderate positive correlations with HPV knowledge (r=.22, p=.012) and self-efficacy (r=.42, p<.001). Self-efficacy (β=.46, p<.001), first sexual intercourse at <20 years (β=.45, p<.001), first sexual intercourse at 20-24 years (β=.29, p=. 018), HPV high- and low-risk group infection (β=.26, p=.019), HPV high-risk group infection (β=.26, p=.026), and vaccination (β=.21, p=.007) significantly influenced the intention to engage in cervical cancer preventive behavior. These variables explained 34.6% of variance in intention. Study findings support the need to develop a program that effectively conveys accurate information about cervical cancer prevention to HPV-infected women and helps them enhance self-efficacy to boost the intention to engage in cervical cancer preventive behavior.

Telomerase reverse transcriptase gene polymorphisms and cervical cancer susceptibility in high-risk human papillomavirus-infected women.

To investigate the relationship between Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) gene polymorphisms and the susceptibility and clinicopathological parameters of cervical cancer in women infected with high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV). A total of 380 patients with HPV-infected cervical cancer who were admitted to the Jilin province Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital (Jilin province Obstetrics Quality Control Center) from July 2019 to July 2023 were selected as case group, and 408 women with negative HPV results in the cervical cancer screening results of the physical examination in the same hospital were selected as the control group. Restriction fragment length polymorphisms polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the polymorphisms of hTERT, and its relationship with the susceptibility to high-risk HPV infection and clinicopathological parameters in patients with cervical cancer was analysed. Individuals carrying the GA and AA genotypes of rs2736122 were significantly associated with an increased risk of cervical cancer when compared with the GG genotype and the adjusted ORs were 0.53 (0.37-0.79) for the AA genotype and 0.73 (0.59-0.88) for the A allele genotype. Besides, GG genotype or G allele of rs2853677 presented a significant influence on cervical cancer, with ORs of 0.59 (0.41-0.86) and 10.77 (0.63-0.94), respectively, when compared with the AA genotype. And rs2853677 have statistically significant difference in tumour diameter and degree of differentiation subgroup(p < 0.05). The results of this study indicate that the hTERT gene rs2736122AA and rs2853677 GG genotypes can increase the susceptibility of high-risk HPV infection in cervical cancer patients. And rs2853677 is related to tumours above 4 cm and highly differentiated tumours. But both have nothing to do with the patient's chemotherapy sensitivity.

Impact of Dietary Quality on Genital Oncogenic Human Papillomavirus Infection in Women.

Most cervical cancers are directly linked to oncogenic or high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection. This study evaluates associations between diet quality and genital HPV infection in women. This study included 10 543 women from the 2003-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The outcome was the genital HPV infection status (HPV-negative, low-risk [LR] HPV, and HR-HPV). Dietary quality was evaluated using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI), in which a higher score indicates a better diet quality. Women who did not consume total fruits (15.8%), whole fruits (27.5%), or green vegetables and beans (43%) had a significantly higher risk of HR-HPV infection than women who complied with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (HR-HPV odds ratio = 1.76, 1.63, and 1.48 for a HEI score of 0 vs 5, respectively) after adjusting confounding factors. Similar results of these food components on LR-HPV infection were found. In addition, intake of whole grains and dairy was inversely associated with LR-HPV infection. This study showed that women who did not eat fruits, dark-green vegetables, and beans had a higher risk of genital HR-HPV infection. Intake of these food components is suggested for women to prevent HPV carcinogenesis.

Human papillomavirus infection in women undergoing in-vitro fertilization: effects on embryo development kinetics and live birth rate

BackgroudSeveral studies showed that human papillomavirus (HPV) affects male fertility, but its impact on female fertility and in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcome is not yet clear.MethodsObjective of this observational, prospective, cohort study was to evaluate the prevalence of HPV infection in women candidate to IVF, and the effects of HPV infection on the kinetic of embryonic development and on IVF outcome. A total number of 457 women candidate to IVF were submitted to HR-HPV test; among them, 326 underwent their first IVF cycle and were included in the analysis on IVF results.Results8.9% of women candidate to IVF were HPV-positive, HPV16 being the most prevalent genotype. Among the infertility causes, endometriosis was significantly more frequent in HPV-positive than in negative women (31.6% vs. 10.1%; p < 0.01). Granulosa and endometrial cells resulted HPV-positive in 61% and 48% of the women having HPV-positive cervical swab, respectively. Comparing HPV-positive and negative women at their first IVF cycle, no significant difference was observed in the responsiveness to controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) in terms of number and maturity of retrieved oocytes, and of fertilization rate. The mean morphological embryo score was comparable in the two groups; embryos of HPV-positive women showed a quicker development in the early stages, with a significantly shorter interval between the appearance of pronuclei and their fusion. In the following days, embryo kinetic was comparable in the two groups until the early blastocyst stage, when embryos of HPV-positive women became significantly slower than those of HPV-negative women. Overall, these differences did not affect live birth rate/started cycle, that was comparable in HPV-positive and negative women (22.2 and 28.1%, respectively).Conclusions(a) the prevalence of HPV infection in women candidate to IVF is similar to that observed in the general female population of the same age range; (b) HPV infection migrates along the female genital apparatus, involving also the endometrium and the ovary, and perhaps participates in the genesis of pelvic endometriosis; (c) HPV slightly affects the developmental kinetic of in vitro-produced embryos, but does not exert an effect on live birth rate.

Genital Human Papillomavirus Infection in women from Florianópolis - Santa Catarina, Brazil

Introduction: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most common sexually transmitted infection in women. About 80% of sexually active women will have contact with this virus at some age in their lives. Most infections will be transient, but when the infection becomes persistent, associated with high oncogenic risk HPV, there may be progression to cancer, especially cervical cancer. The best way to prevent HPV infection is through the use of vaccines. Objective: To assess which are the most prevalent types of HPV in the city of Florianópolis, Brazil and if the majority of the diagnosed types are contained in the HPV vaccines currently available on the market and in the public health sector. Methods: More than 14,727 HPV tests were evaluated for the diagnosis of genital HPV infection in women from Florianópolis. The prevalence of infection was evaluated according to age of the women. HPV detection was performed using molecular biology tests, such as hybrid capture (for diagnosis of the HPV group, high or low oncogenic risk) and PCR (viral genotyping) techniques. Results: The diagnosis of HPV infection was made for women between one and 102 years of age. The highest positivity of the exams was observed in women aged 20–25 years (51% of the exams). The most prevalent age group was 31–35 years old (23.5%), and the lowest was for women aged 70 and above (0.6%). High oncogenic risk HPV was detected in 94.1% of positive samples and was the most frequent in all age groups. Mixed infection (high- and low-risk HPV) was more prevalent in the 66–70 age group (25.6%). The most frequent genotypes were non-16/18 high oncogenic risk HPV (77% of positive cases). HPV 16 was found in 17.1% of positive cases, and HPV 18 in 6.5%. Conclusion: The most prevalent types of HPV in Florianópolis in the last 6 years are non-16/18 high oncogenic risk HPV types, viral types not covered by the current HPV vaccine available in the public health sector in Brazil.

Detection of human papillomavirus genotypes (HPV-16) and (HPV-18) in women with abnormal cervical cytology in Al-Diwaniyah Province, Iraq

Objective: To identify the human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes; HPV-16 and HPV-18 from women with abnormal cervical cytology. Methodology: In this cross-sectional study, 100 females 17 to 60 years of age (mean: 34 years) with abnormal cervical cytology were included. For each woman, two tissue specimens i.e. one for a pap smear and one for a genetic study were collected. The genetic study was carried out by using conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method for confirmation of diagnosis. A real-time PCR (RT-PCR) was done on positive samples for the detection of the genotypes. Results: We found that 64 (64%) out of 100 patients had abnormal tissue findings. The RT-PCR demonstrated that 32 (88.88%) samples were positive for the HPV 16 and HPV 18, at 20 cycles (55.55%) and 12 cycles (33.33%), respectively, with four (11.11%) samples showing unknown genotypic identity. Conclusion: The present investigation provides novel information about the status of the human papillomavirus infection in women from Al-Diwaniyah Province with important reporting of HPV-16 and HPV-18 genotypes. Samples of this Province are mainly positive for the HPV 16 and HPV 18 with high percentages.

Concurrent Cervical and Anal High-Risk Human Papillomavirus Infection in Women Living With HIV: An Observational Case-Control Study.

To evaluate the prevalence and correlates of concurrent uterine cervical and anal HR-HPV infections in women living with HIV (WLHIV). A cross-sectional study was undertaken at a tertiary care hospital and linked ART center. One hundred and forty-one WLHIV and 161 HIV-negative women were enrolled for cervical and anal cytology as well as HR-HPV testing using the HC2 method. Screen-positive women were followed-up with colposcopy/anoscopy and/or repeat cytology. Appropriate statistical tests were applied to assess the association of concurrent HR-HPV with various parameters. Concurrent cervical and anal HR-HPV infection was detected in 22 WLHIV (16.3%) and 5 HIV-negative women (3.1%), the difference being statistically significant ( P &lt; 0.001 ). Among WLHIV, concurrent HR-HPV was associated with tobacco use ( P &lt; 0.001 ), receptive anal intercourse ( P = 0.02 ), low CD4 counts ( P = 0.001 ), and negatively with ART intake ( P = 0.004 ) on bivariate analysis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed a positive association of concurrent HR-HPV positivity with tobacco use ( P = 0.02 ) and low nadir CD4 counts ( P = 0.03 ). WLHIV, especially those with CD4 counts less than 200/µL, should be offered HR-HPV screening and follow-up to detect cervical and anal lesions.

Lactobacillus crispatus M247 oral administration: Is it really an effective strategy in the management of papillomavirus-infected women?

BackgroundRecent studies have shown the importance of the microbiota in women's health. Indeed, the persistence of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)-related lesions in patients with dysbiosis can be the antechamber to cervical cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether long term administration of oral Lactobacillus crispatus can restore eubiosis in women with HPV infections and hence achieve viral clearance.MethodsIn total, 160 women affected by HPV infections were enrolled at the Department of Gynecological Obstetrics of “San Paolo” Hospital, Italy between February 2021 and February 2022. The women were randomly assigned to two groups, one in treatment with oral Lactobacillus crispatus M247 (group 1, n = 80) versus the control group, that hence only in follow-up (Group 2, n = 80).ResultsAfter a median follow-up of 12 months (range 10–30 months), the likelihood of resolving HPV-related cytological anomalies was higher in patients in treatment with the long term oral probiotic (group 1) versus the group that perfom only follow-up (group 2) (60.5% vs. 41.3%, p = 0.05). Total HPV clearance was shown in 9.3% of patients undergoing only follow-up compared to 15.3% of patients in the group taking long term oral Lactobacillus crispatus M247 (p = 0.34). However, the percentage of HPV-negative patients, assessed with the HPV-DNA test, documented at the end of the study period was not significantly different from the control group.ConclusionsDespite the limitations of our analysis, we found a higher percentage of clearance of PAP-smear abnormalities in patients who took long term oral Lactobacillus crispatus M247 than in the control group. Larger studies are warranted, but we believe that future research should be aimed in this direction.Trial registration This study is retrospectively registered.

Profiling the real-world management status of high-risk human papillomavirus infection: a protocol to establish a prospective cohort of high-risk human papillomavirus-infected women in Lueyang County, China

IntroductionPersistent infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) is the main cause of cervical cancer. Thus, the effective treatment against HPV represents an opportunity to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer....

High Prevalence of Cervical High-Grade Lesions and High-Risk Human Papillomavirus Infections in Women Living with HIV: A Case for Prioritizing Cervical Screening in This Vulnerable Group

Introduction: Women living with HIV (WLHIV) are at an increased risk of developing cervical precancerous lesions and cervical human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. This study aimed at evaluating the prevalence of cervical lesions and high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) infection in WLHIV in comparison to the HIV-negative women undergoing opportunistic screening. In addition, these findings among WLHIV were correlated with the clinic-demographic factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among WLHIVs at a tertiary hospital and linked antiretroviral therapy (ART) center, while HIV-negative women were recruited from the health promotion clinic at our institute. With informed consent, a semi-structured questionnaire was filled on demographic and epidemiological parameters. Conventional cervical smears and samples for HPV DNA detection by HC2 high-risk HPV DNA test were collected in all participants. Cervical smears were reported using the Bethesda system 2014. Appropriate statistical analysis was performed for bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis for comparison between WLHIV and HIV-negative women and for correlation of abnormal cervical cytology and HR-HPV infection among WLHIVs. Results: The clinic-demographic characteristics of WLHIVs and HIV-negative women were similar. On cytology, the prevalence of cervical cytological abnormalities were significantly higher (p < 0.001) among WLHIVs (14.1%) compared to HIV-negative women (3.1%). High-grade lesions were seen in 3.7% of WLHIVs, while no high-grade lesions were detected in HIV-negative women. Cervical HR-HPV infection was also significantly higher (p < 0.001) in WLHIVs (28.9%) than HIV-negative women (9.3%). Cervical precancerous lesions in WLHIVs showed positive association with current sexually transmitted infection (STI), multiple sexual partners, tobacco use, and CD4 count less than 200/µL, while cervical HPV was positively associated with current STI, tobacco use, CD4 count less than 200/µL and negatively with ART intake. On multivariate logistic regression, cervical cytological abnormalities showed a significant association with multiple sexual partners (p < 0.001), while cervical HR-HPV infection was positively associated with current STI (p = 0.01), nadir CD4 count <200/µL (p = 0.004), abnormal cervical cytology (p = 0.002) and negatively with ART intake (p = 0.03). Conclusion: Women living with HIV have a significantly higher prevalence of cervical precancerous lesions and HR-HPV infection compared to the general population. Considering the lack of an organized population-based cervical cancer screening program in many low-resource countries like ours, specific focus on screening this highly vulnerable population to reduce the morbidity and mortality due to cervical cancer is imperative.

Distribution and Prevalence of High-risk Human Papillomavirus Infection in Women of Western Uttar Pradesh, India: A Hospital-based Study

Distribution and Prevalence of High-risk Human Papillomavirus Infection in Women of Western Uttar Pradesh, India: A Hospital-based Study

GSTT1 and GSTM1 polymorphisms with human papillomavirus infection in women from southern Brazil: a case-control study.

BackgroundImportant risk factors for the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the world, human papillomavirus (HPV), include early sexual activity, use of contraceptives, tobacco smoking, and immunological and genetic factors. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between GSTM1 and GSTT1 polymorphisms and HPV infection and associated risk factors in a group of women assisted in the public health system of southwestern Paraná, Brazil.Methods and resultsA case–control study was designed with 21 women with HPV matched by age in the case group and 84 women without the virus in the control group. Viral detection was conducted via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and GSTM1 and GSTT1 genotyping by Multiplex PCR. The results showed that the GSTT1 null allele was a protective factor against infection (ORadj 0.219; 95% CI 0.078–0.618; p = 0.004). No relationship was observed for the GSTM1 gene. Smoking was defined as a risk factor (ORadj 3.678; 95% CI 1.111–12.171; p = 0.033), increasing the chances of HPV by up to 3.6 times.ConclusionThis study showed, for the first time, the relationship between GSTM1 and GSTT1 genetic polymorphisms and HPV. We found that this relationship protected women from southern Brazil from viral infection, but not from susceptibility.

Anal cytological abnormalities and human papillomavirus infection in women living with HIV: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

To provide a summary estimate of the prevalence of anal cytological abnormalities and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection as well as their covariates in women living with HIV (WLHIV). Four databases - PubMed, Cochrane Library, ProQuest and Web of Science - were searched up to 31 May 2021 for studies reporting on the prevalence and/or covariates of abnormal anal cytology and/or anal HPV infection in WLHIV. The data were extracted independently by two authors using standardized extraction forms. Random effect models were used to estimate the summary effect sizes. A total of 29studies were included in the analysis. The overall prevalence of anal cytological abnormalities in WLHIV was 28.5% [95% confidence interval (CI): 22.8-35.5]. High-grade cytological lesions were seen in 12.1% (95% CI: 8.5-17.2) of the abnormal smears. HPV infection (any type) in the anal samples was detected in 60.7% (95% CI: 54.1-68.0) of the samples while high-risk HPV was found in 44.0% (95% CI: 37.6-51.5). A positive association was seen between anal cytological abnormality and factors such as receptive anal intercourse [meta-risk ratio (meta-RR) = 1.6, 95% CI: 1.3-1.8], having multiple sexual partners (1.6, 95% CI: 1.0-2.5), CD4 count <200 cells/µL (4.6, 95% CI: 3.0-6.9), anal HPV (4.6, 95% CI: 2.4-8.8), abnormal cervical cytology (2.3, 95% CI: 2.0-2.8), and cervical HPV (meta-RR 4.6, 95% CI: 2.2-9.8). Anal HPV infection was significantly associated with cervical HPV positivity (2.5, 95% CI: 1.2-5.3). Our results highlight the high prevalence of abnormal anal cytology and HPV infection in WLHIV. The positive association of anal cytological abnormality with parameters such as abnormal cervical cytology, cervical HPV infection and low CD4 count suggests that anal sex history and examination may be considered in WLHIV undergoing screening for sexually transmitted infection and possessing any of these risk factors.

Genital infection by Human papillomavirus (HPV) in women from Santa Catarina/Brazil

Introduction: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most common sexually transmitted infection in women. About 80% of sexually active women will have contact with this virus at some point in their lives. Most infections will be transient, but when the infection becomes persistent and associated with a high oncogenic risk of Human Papillomavirus, there may be progression to cancer, especially cervical cancer. The best way to prevent Human Papillomavirus infection is through the use of vaccines, which have been available to the public in Brazil since 2014. Objective: This study aimed to assess the most prevalent types of Human Papillomavirus in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil, and its mesoregions and if the majority of diagnosed types are contained in the Human Papillomavirus vaccines currently available on the market. Methods: A total of 20,000 Human Papillomavirus tests were evaluated for the diagnosis of genital Human Papillomavirus infection in women from the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. The prevalence of infection was evaluated according to age and the city of origin of the exams. Human Papillomavirus detection was performed using molecular biology tests, such as hybrid capture (for diagnosis of the Human Papillomavirus group, high or low oncogenic risk) and polymerase chain reaction (viral genotyping) techniques. Results: The diagnosis of Human Papillomavirus infection was performed on women between 1 and 102 years of age. The age with the highest Human Papillomavirus positivity, as expected, was 20–25 years (45.6%) and the lowest after 70 years (7.1%). The highest Human Papillomavirus positivity of the exams was observed in the Serrana region of Santa Catarina state (58.9% of the exams). A high-oncogenic-risk Human Papillomavirus was detected in 93% of positive samples and was the most frequent in all age groups. Mixed infection (high- and low-risk Human Papillomavirus) was more prevalent in the 66–70 age group (29.3%) and in the Southern Region of Santa Catarina (26.4%). The most frequent genotypes in the state of Santa Catarina were non-16/18 high oncogenic risk Human Papillomavirus (76.9% of positive cases). Human Papillomavirus 16 was found in 17.1% of positive cases and Human Papillomavirus 18 in 6.6%. Conclusion: The most prevalent types of Human Papillomavirus in the state of Santa Catarina in the past 6 years are the non-16/18 high oncogenic risk Human Papillomavirus types, which are viral types not covered by the current Human Papillomavirus vaccines available in Brazil.

Cervical, oral and anal Human papillomavirus infection in women attending the Dermatology Unit of a regional reference hospital in Genoa, Italy: a prevalence study.

Between January 2016 and December 2018, the female patients attending the STI center (cases) and those requiring a full body skin examination for skin cancer screening ("supposed" healthy population: controls) were recruited. Cervical/anal/oral samples were collected with ThinPrep liquid based cytology preparation system: polymerase chain reaction for HPV and cytological evaluation were performed. Overall, 85 cases and 31 controls were recruited. Cervical HPV infection was detected in 60% of the cases and 48% of the controls; anal HPV infection in 44% of the cases and 26% of the controls. Cervical and anal HPV infection resulted associated, especially in the control group. Moreover, 32% of the cases and 29% of the controls proved HPV positive in the oral cavity. In the cases of our series, prevalence of cervical, anal and oral HPV infection was higher compared with the controls. The high prevalence of anal-oral infections and the frequent association between anal and cervical infections, provide reason to suggest HPV screening also in the anal and oral regions, which may represent HPV reservoirs and grounds for cancer development.

Development of RNA-Based Assay for Rapid Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in Clinical Samples

IntroductionThe ongoing spread of pandemic coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is of growing concern. Rapid diagnosis and management of SARS-CoV-2 are crucial for controlling the outbreak in the community. Here, we report the development of a first rapid-colorimetric assay capable of detecting SARS-CoV-2 in the human nasopharyngeal RNA sample in less than 30 min.MethodWe utilized a nanomaterial-based optical sensing platform to detect RNA-dependent RNA polymerase gene of SARS-CoV-2, where the formation of oligo probe-target hybrid led to salt-induced aggregation and change in gold-colloid color from pink to blue visibility range. Accordingly, we found a change in colloid color from pink to blue in assay containing nasopharyngeal RNA sample from the subject with clinically diagnosed COVID-19. The colloid retained pink color when the test includes samples from COVID-19 negative subjects or human papillomavirus-infected women.ResultsThe results were validated using nasopharyngeal RNA samples from positive COVID-19 subjects (n = 136). Using real-time polymerase chain reaction as gold standard, the assay was found to have 85.29% sensitivity and 94.12% specificity. The optimized method has detection limit as little as 0.5 ng of SARS-CoV-2 RNA.ConclusionWe found that the developed assay rapidly detects SARS-CoV-2 RNA in clinical samples in a cost-effective manner and would be useful in pandemic management by facilitating mass screening.

Genotype Distribution and Prevalence of Human Papillomavirus Infection in Women in Northern Jiangsu Province of China.

ObjectiveHuman papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the risk factor for cervical cancer. Consequently, HPV DNA testing is an essential method for cervical cancer screening. Yet, data on the prevalence and genotype distribution of HPV and cervical cytological among women in northern Jiangsu Province of China are very limited.Materials and MethodsA total of 36,500 women were enrolled at the Department of Pathology of Jinhu County People’s Hospital between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2019. HPV genotypes was performed using YanengBio® Human Papillomavirus Genotyping Kit. Thin liquid cytology tests (TCT) were conducted, based on cytology conditions set by Bethesda in 2001.ResultsThe overall prevalence of HPV infection was 28.95%; it was age-dependent; the number of infections was highest in the 40–49 age group. Six thousand three hundred eighty-two women (16.87%) were found to have a pure high-risk HPV infection, while 918 women (2.43%) were found to have a pure low-risk HPV infection. The 6 most predominant genotypes were HPV 52, 58, 16, 53, 56, and 33. Moreover, 8923 women (45.09%) were affected by ASCUS, 4531 (22.90%) by LSIL, 3726 (18.83%) by ASC-H, and 2610 (13.19%) by HSIL.ConclusionThis study revealed a high burden of HPV infection among women in northern Jiangsu Province of China and identified the distribution of the prevalent top 6 HPV genotypes in this area, which can be used as a useful reference for future work.

Triage of human papillomavirus infected women by methylation analysis in first-void urine

Host cell DNA methylation analysis in urine provides promising triage markers for women diagnosed with a high-risk (HR) human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. In this study, we have investigated a panel of six host cell methylation markers (GHSR, SST, ZIC1, ASCL1, LHX8, ST6GALNAC5) in cervicovaginal secretions collected within the first part of the urine void (FVU) from a referral population. Cytology, histology, and HPV DNA genotyping results on paired FVU and cervical samples were available. Urinary median methylation levels from HR-HPV (n = 93) positive women were found to increase for all markers with severity of underlying disease. Significantly elevated levels were observed for GHSR and LHX8 in relation to high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN2 +; n = 33), with area under de curve values of 0.80 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.59–0.92) and 0.76 (95% CI 0.58–0.89), respectively. These findings are the first to support the assertion that methylation analysis of host cell genes is feasible in FVU and holds promise as molecular, triage strategy to discern low- from high-grade cervical disease in HR-HPV positive women. Molecular testing on FVU may serve to increase cervical cancer screening attendance in hard-to-reach populations whilst reducing loss to follow-up and await further optimization and validation studies.

Distinction between vaginal and cervical microbiota in high-risk human papilloma virus-infected women in China

BackgroundHigh-risk human papilloma virus (hrHPV) is the main causal factor of cervical precancer and cancer when persistent infection is left untreated. Previous studies have confirmed the vaginal microbiota is associated with HPV infection and the development of cervical lesions. The microbiota at different parts of the female genital tract is closely related but different from each other. To analyze the distinction between the vaginal and cervical microbiota of hrHPV(+) women in China, one hundred subjects were recruited, including 10 patients with HPV16/18(+) and cervical carcinoma, 38 patients with HPV16/18(+) but no cervical carcinoma, 32 patients with other hrHPV(+) and 20 healthy controls with HPV(−). Vaginal and cervical microbiota were separately tested through next-generation sequencing (NGS) targeting the variable region (V3-V4) of the bacterial ribosome 16S rRNA gene.ResultsHrHPV(+) subjects had higher percentages of vaginal douching history (P = 0.001), showed more frequent usage of sanitary pads (P = 0.007), had more sex partners (P = 0.047), were more sexually active (P = 0.025) and more diversed in ways of contraception (P = 0.001). The alpha diversity of the cervical microbiota was higher than that of the vagina. The cervical microbiota consisted of a lower percentage of Firmicutes and a higher percentage of Proteobacteria than the vagina at the phylum level. Sphingomonas, belonging to α-Proteobacteria, was almost below the detection limit in the vagina but accounted for five to 10 % of the bacteria in the hrHPV(−) cervix (P<0.001) and was inversely associated with hrHPV infection (P<0.05). Pseudomonas, belonging to γ-Proteobacteria, could hardly be seen in the normal vagina and shared a small percentage in the normal cervix but was significantly higher in the HPV16/18(+) (P<0.001) and cancerous cervix (P<0.05). No significant difference was shown in the percentage of BV associated anaerobes, like Gardnerella, Prevotella, Atopobium and Sneathia, between the cevix and vigina.ConclusionsThe proportion of Proteobacteria was significantly higher in the cervical microbiota than that of vagina. The hrHPV infection and cervical cancer was positively associated with Pseudomonas and negatively associated with Sphingomonas. It is of great improtance to deeply explore the cervical microbiota and its function in cervical cacinogenesis.