http://www.infectagentscancer.com The latest research articles published by Infectious Agents and Cancer 2009-06-03T00:00:00Z This is an RSS newsfeed from BioMed Central It is intended to be used with an RSS reader. For more information about RSS newsfeeds from BioMed Central, visit http://www.biomedcentral.com/info/about/rss/ Background: Women infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may be at higher risk of developing cervical cancer than non infected women. In a pilot study, we assessed the relationships among cervical cytology abnormalities associated to Human Papillomavirus (HPV), HIV infection and Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) on the development of Squamous Intraepithelial lesions (SILs). Out of the 70 HIV infected women from Douala -Cameroon (Central Africa) that we included in the study, half (35) were under HAART. After obtaining information related to their lifestyle and sexual behaviour, cervicovaginal samples for Pap smears and venous blood for CD4 count were collected and further divided into two groups based upon the presence or absence of cervical cytology abnormalities i.e. those with normal cervical cytology and those with low and high Squamous Intraepithelial lesions (LSIL, HSIL). Results: Assessment was done according to current antiretroviral regimens available nationwide and CD4 count. It was revealed that 44.3% of HIV-infected women had normal cytology. The overall prevalence of LSIL and HSIL associated to HPV in the studied groups was 24.3% (17/70) and 31.4% (22/70) respectively. Among the 22 HSIL-positive women, 63.6% (14/22) were not on antiretroviral therapy, while 36.4% (8/22) were under HAART. HIV infected women under HAART with positive HSIL, showed a median CD4+ T cell count of 253.7 +/- 31.7 higher than those without therapy (164.7 +/- 26.1). The incidence of HSIL related to HPV infection within the study group independently of HAART initiation was high. Conclusion: These results suggest the need for extension and expansion of the current study in order to evaluate the incidence of HPV infection and cervical cancer among HIV-infected and non HIV- infected women in Cameroon. http://www.infectagentscancer.com/content/4/1/9 Martin Luther Koanga Mogtomo Louise Carole Gouabe Malieugoue Carolle Djiepgang Michel Wankam Andre Moune Annie Ngono Ngane Infectious Agents and Cancer 2009, 4:9 2009-06-03T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/1750-9378-4-9 Infectious Agents and Cancer 1750-9378 4 9 2009-06-03T00:00:00Z XML Virtually all cases of cervical cancer are caused by persistent infections with a restricted set of human papillomaviruses (HPV). Some HPV types, like HPV16 and HPV18, are clear and powerful carcinogens. However, the categorization of the most weakly carcinogenic HPV types is extremely challenging. The decisions are important for screening test and vaccine development. This article describes for open discussion an approach recently taken by a World Health Organization International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Monographs Working Group to re-assess the carcinogenicity of different HPV types. http://www.infectagentscancer.com/content/4/1/8 Mark Schiffman Gary Clifford Franco Buonaguro Infectious Agents and Cancer 2009, 4:8 2009-06-01T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/1750-9378-4-8 Infectious Agents and Cancer 1750-9378 4 8 2009-06-01T00:00:00Z XML Thirteen human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes have been judged to be carcinogenic or probably carcinogenic, and the cause of virtually all cervical cancer worldwide. Other HPV genotypes could possibly be involved. Although the inclusion of possibly carcinogenic HPV genotypes may hurt test specificity, it may indirectly increase the reassurance following a negative HPV test (i.e. the negative predictive value of an HPV test for cervical precancer and cancer). The future of cervical cancer screening in low-resource setting, however, may include once-in-a-lifetime, low-cost and rapid HPV testing. However, the tradeoff of more false positives for greater reassurance may not be acceptable if the local infrastructure cannot manage the screen positives. Now is the time for the community of scientists, doctors, and public health advocates to use the data presented at the 100th International Agency for Research on Cancer monograph meeting to rationally decide the target HPV genotypes for the next generation of HPV tests for use in high-resource and low-resource settings. The implications of including possibly HPV genotypes on HPV test performance, also for guidance on the use of these tests for cervical cancer prevention programs, are discussed. http://www.infectagentscancer.com/content/4/1/7 Philip Castle Infectious Agents and Cancer 2009, 4:7 2009-05-11T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/1750-9378-4-7 Infectious Agents and Cancer 1750-9378 4 7 2009-05-11T00:00:00Z XML Background: A possible association between human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection and colorectal cancer progression has been inferred by the identification in tumour tissues of HCMV antigens and specific viral DNA or RNA sequences. To further investigate the relationship between HCMV and colorectal cancers we developed qualitative and quantitative PCR assay to detect HCMV DNA in 56 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples from patients belonging to 4 different histological phenotypes: adenoma; poorly, moderately and well differentiated adenocarcinomas. Results: Of the 56 FFPE tested tissue samples, 6 (11%) were positive for HCMV nested PCR amplification, and more precisely 1 (5%) of 20 cases of adenoma and 5 (21%) of 24 cases of moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma. No PCR positivity was obtained in samples from well and poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas. Conclusion: Our observations suggest that there is no evidence of a direct association between HCMV and colorectal cancer. Moreover, the results obtained are not supportive of a causal role of HCMV in the processes of carcinogenesis and/or progression of colorectal cancer. However, the fact that the virus may present a "hit and run" like-mechanism and HCMV can thus only be detectable at a particular stage of a processing adenocarcinoma, suggests that a significant number of colorectal cancers might have been the subject of HCMV infection that could contribute to trigger the oncogenic differentiation. Our analysis does not exclude the possibility of HCMV infection subsequent viral clearance. http://www.infectagentscancer.com/content/4/1/6 Cecilia Bender Donato Zipeto Carlo Bidoia Silvia Costantini Alberto Zamo Fabio Menestrina Umberto Bertazzoni Infectious Agents and Cancer 2009, 4:6 2009-04-16T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/1750-9378-4-6 Infectious Agents and Cancer 1750-9378 4 6 2009-04-16T00:00:00Z XML Correction to Morelli G, Perrella A, Sbreglia C, Bellopede P, Riccio V, Perrella O: Antiviral therapy in acute viral hepatitis B: why and when. Infectious Agents and Cancer 2009, 4:2. http://www.infectagentscancer.com/content/4/1/5 Giuseppe Morelli Alessandro Perrella Costanza Sbreglia Pasquale Bellopede Vincenzo Riccio Antonio Monaco Oreste Perrella Infectious Agents and Cancer 2009, 4:5 2009-04-01T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/1750-9378-4-5 Infectious Agents and Cancer 1750-9378 4 5 2009-04-01T00:00:00Z XML Background: India has a large and evolving HIV epidemic. Little is known about cancer risk in Indian persons with HIV/AIDS (PHA) but risk is thought to be low. Methods: To describe the state of knowledge about cancer patterns in Indian PHA, we reviewed reports from the international and Indian literature. Results: As elsewhere, non-Hodgkin lymphomas dominate the profile of recognized cancers, with immunoblastic/large cell diffuse lymphoma being the most common type. Hodgkin lymphoma is proportionally increased, perhaps because survival with AIDS is truncated by fatal infections. In contrast, Kaposi sarcoma is rare, in association with an apparently low prevalence of Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus. If confirmed, the reasons for the low prevalence need to be understood. Cervical, anal, vulva/vaginal and penile cancers all appear to be increased in PHA, based on limited data. The association may be confounded by sexual behaviors that transmit both HIV and human papillomavirus. Head and neck tumor incidence may also be increased, an important concern since these tumors are among the most common in India. Based on limited evidence, the increase is at buccal/palatal sites, which are associated with tobacco and betel nut chewing rather than human papillomavirus. Conclusion: With improving care of HIV and better management of infections, especially tuberculosis, the longer survival of PHA in India will likely increase the importance of cancer as a clinical problem in India. With the population's geographic and social diversity, India presents unique research opportunities that can be embedded in programs targeting HIV/AIDS and other public health priorities. http://www.infectagentscancer.com/content/4/1/4 Robert Biggar Anil Chaturvedi Kishor Bhatia Sam Mbulaiteye Infectious Agents and Cancer 2009, 4:4 2009-03-28T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/1750-9378-4-4 Infectious Agents and Cancer 1750-9378 4 4 2009-03-28T00:00:00Z XML Background: In San Luis Potosí City cervical infection by human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) associated to dysplastic lesions is more prevalent in younger women. In this work HPV16 subtypes and variants associated to low-grade intraepithelial lesions (LSIL), high-grade intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) and invasive cervical cancer (ICC) of 38 women residing in San Luis Potosí City were identified by comparing their E6 open reading frame sequences. Results: Three European (E) variants (E-P, n = 27; E-T350G, n = 7; E-C188G, n = 2) and one AA-a variant (n = 2) were identified among the 38 HPV16 sequences analyzed. E-P variant sequences contained 23 single nucleotide changes, two of which (A334G, A404T) had not been described before and allowed the phylogenetic separation from the other variants. E-P A334G sequences were the most prevalent (22 cases, 57.9%), followed by the E-P Ref prototype (8 cases, 21.1%) and E-P A404T (1 case, 2.6%) sequences. The HSIL + ICC fraction was 0.21 for the E-P A334G variants and 0.00 for the E-P Ref variants. Conclusion: We conclude that in the women included in this study the HPV16 E subtype is 19 times more frequent than the AA subtype; that the circulating E variants are E-P (71.1%) > E-T350G (18.4%) > E-C188G (5.3%); that 71.0% of the E-P sequences carry the A334G single nucleotide change and appear to correspond to a HPV16 variant characteristic of San Luis Potosi City more oncogenic than the E-P Ref prototype. http://www.infectagentscancer.com/content/4/1/3 Ruben Lopez-Revilla Marco Pineda Julio Ortiz-Valdez Mireya Sanchez-Garza Lina Riego Infectious Agents and Cancer 2009, 4:3 2009-02-16T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/1750-9378-4-3 Infectious Agents and Cancer 1750-9378 4 3 2009-02-16T00:00:00Z XML Acute viral hepatitis B is cleared in more than 95% of patients, while the remainder ones may develop either chronic HBV infection or, rarely, fulminant hepatitis.Therefore there are elderly patients with severe acute HBV hepatitis caractherized by high serum bilirubin levels >15 mmole/dl, international normalized ratio (INR) with value more than 1.6; these patients are caractherized by a severe outcome of HBV infection.As known, outcome of infection and the pathogenesis of liver diseases are determined by viral and host factors, such as T reg lymphocytes.T regs may be associated with a negative immune response such as an inhibition of gamma- IFN secretion.The impact of viral load on antiviral T cell responses may play a critical role in thaese patients, influencing disease persistence and immune response.Antiviral drugs could be useful in these patients determing a possible down -regulation of T regs. http://www.infectagentscancer.com/content/4/1/2 Giuseppe Morelli Alessandro Perrella Costanza Sbreglia Pasquale Bellopede Antonio Monaco Oreste Perrella Infectious Agents and Cancer 2009, 4:2 2009-01-16T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/1750-9378-4-2 Infectious Agents and Cancer 1750-9378 4 2 2009-01-16T00:00:00Z XML Primary lymphoma of the adrenal gland is a rare and highly aggressive disease, with only a few reports in the literature. The pathogenesis is unknown, but detection of Epstein Barr virus (EBV) genome sequences and gene expression in some cases of primary adrenal lymphomas suggested the virus might be a causative agent of the malignancy. While investigating the presence of genome sequences of oncogenic viruses in a large series of adrenal tumors, both EBV and JC polyomavirus (JCV) DNA sequences were detected in a diffuse large primary bilateral B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the adrenal gland, which was diagnosed only at postmortem examination in a 77 year-old woman with incidentally discovered adrenal masses and primary adrenal insufficiency. The presence of both EBV and JCV genome sequences suggests the relevance of EBV and JCV coinfection in the pathogenesis of this rare form of B-cell lymphoma. http://www.infectagentscancer.com/content/4/1/1 Luisa Barzon Marta Trevisan Filippo Marino Vincenza Guzzardo Giorgio Palu Infectious Agents and Cancer 2009, 4:1 2009-01-15T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/1750-9378-4-1 Infectious Agents and Cancer 1750-9378 4 1 2009-01-15T00:00:00Z XML ObjectiveTo provide guidelines for health-care providers on strategies for cervical cancer prevention based on HPV testing and anti-HPV vaccination.OutcomesOverall efficacy of different preventive strategies, assessing reduction in the incidence of invasive cervical cancer and precancerous lesions.EvidenceMedline and the Cochrane Database were searched for articles in English on subjects related to HPVs, HPV diagnosis, HPV anogenital lesions, cervical cancer, HPV testing, and HPV vaccines, in order to elaborate an up-dated document. Relevant Italian Government publications and position papers from appropriate health and family planning organizations were also reviewed.ValuesThe quality of the evidence and ranking of recommendations for practice were rated using criteria defined by SIV, which were adapted from the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care. http://www.infectagentscancer.com/content/3/1/14 Luisa Barzon Colomba Giorgi Franco Buonaguro Giorgio Palu' Infectious Agents and Cancer 2008, 3:14 2008-12-16T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/1750-9378-3-14 Infectious Agents and Cancer 1750-9378 3 14 2008-12-16T00:00:00Z XML