Association of TNF-alpha promoter polymorphisms with the clearance of hepatitis B virus infection

The mechanisms underlying the resolution of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remain undetermined. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) plays a pivotal role in host immune response to HBV, and the capacity for cytokine production in individuals has a major genetic component. The aim of this study was to examine whether TNF-alpha promotor polymorphisms are associated with the clearance of HBV infection. A total of 1400 Korean subjects were enrolled in two different groups: 'chronic carrier group' (CC; n=1109), who were repeatedly hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive, and 'subjects who spontaneously recovered' (SR; n=291), who were HBsAg-negative with antibodies to HBsAg and hepatitis B core antigen. TNF-alpha promoter polymorphisms at positions -1031T>C, -863C>A, -857C>T, -376G>A, -308G>A, -238G>A and -163G>A were determined and the genotype distributions of the CC and SR groups were compared. The TNF-alpha promoter alleles that were previously reported to be associated with higher plasma levels, i.e. the presence of the -308A allele (TNF-alpha-308A/G or A/A) or the absence of the -863A (TNF-alpha-863C/C) variant, were strongly associated with the resolution of HBV infection in three alternative analyzing models, i.e. TNF-alpha-308G>A (P=0.01) and TNF-alpha-863C>A (P=0.003-0.14), respectively. Haplotype analysis also revealed that TNF-alpha haplotype 1 [-1031T; -863C; -857C; -308G; -238G; -163G] and haplotype 2 [-1031C; -863A; -857C; -308G; -238G; -163G] were significantly associated with HBV clearance, showing protective antibody production and persistent HBV infection, respectively (P=0.003-0.02). Our findings imply that variations in the genes governing the levels of constitutive and inducible TNF-alpha might be an important factor, which might explain the variable outcome of HBV infection.     

Temporal dynamics of the human vaginal microbiota

Elucidating the factors that impinge on the stability of bacterial communities in the vagina may help in predicting the risk of diseases that affect women's health. Here, we describe the temporal dynamics of the composition of vaginal bacterial communities in 32 reproductive-age women over a 16-week period. The analysis revealed the dynamics of five major classes of bacterial communities and showed that some communities change markedly over short time periods, whereas others are relatively stable. Modeling community stability using new quantitative measures indicates that deviation from stability correlates with time in the menstrual cycle, bacterial community composition, and sexual activity. The women studied are healthy; thus, it appears that neither variation in community composition per se nor higher levels of observed diversity (co-dominance) are necessarily indicative of dysbiosis.     

子宫颈病变组织中低分子量蛋白酶体表达与HPV16感染的关系

目的观察低分子量蛋白酶体(low molecular-weight protein,LMP)在子宫颈病变组织中的mRNA和蛋白表达,探讨其与HPV16感染的关系。方法以152例新疆维吾尔族妇女正常子宫颈上皮、子宫颈上皮内瘤变(cervical intraepithelial neoplasia,CIN)和子宫颈鳞癌(cervical squamous cell carcinoma,CSCC)患者为研究对象,采用RT-PCR和免疫组化法鉴定LMP2和LMP7mRNA及蛋白表达水平;采用PCR技术检测相应标本HPV16感染情况。结果 (1)LMP2、LMP7随着子宫颈病变的加重其蛋白表达逐渐降低,且mRNA表达水平与蛋白表达趋势相一致。在CIN中LMP2、LMP7蛋白表达下调和缺失率分别为25.0%/15.6%、29.7%/23.4%;在子宫颈癌中LMP2、LMP7蛋白的表达下调和缺失率分别为17.5%/34.9%、23.8%/41.3%。临床病理参数进行分析发现LMP2、LMP7与子宫颈癌分化程度及淋巴结转移密切相关(P<0.05)。(2)PCR结果显示,HPV16的检出率随着子宫颈病变的进展而增加,在慢性子宫颈炎、CIN和子宫颈癌组织中阳性率分别为8%(2/25)、67.2%(43/64)和77.8%(49/63),且随着肿瘤恶性程度的增加其阳性表达率增加,各组间阳性表达差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。在CIN中LMP7表达下调与HPV16感染有关(P<0.05),子宫颈癌中LMP2和LMP7表达下调与HPV16感染有关(P<0.05)。结论 LMP基因的转录表达下调或蛋白质表达缺失与维吾尔族妇女子宫颈癌病变进程密切相关,其中HPV16感染可能是重要原因之一。     

Association of the expression of the low molecular-weight protein with HPV16 infection in cervical lesions

目的 观察低分子量蛋白酶体(low molecular-weight protein,LMP)在子宫颈病变组织中的mRNA和蛋白表达,探讨其与HPV16感染的关系.方法 以152例新疆维吾尔族妇女正常子宫颈上皮、子宫颈上皮内瘤变(cervical intraepithelial neoplasia,CIN)和子宫颈鳞癌(cervical squamous cell carcinoma,CSCC)患者为研究对象,采用RT-PCR和免疫组化法鉴定LMP2和LMP7 mRNA及蛋白表达水平;采用PCR技术检测相应标本HPV16感染情况.结果 (1)LMP2、LMP7随着子宫颈病变的加重其蛋白表达逐渐降低,且mRNA表达水平与蛋白表达趋势相一致.在CIN中LMP2、LMP7蛋白表达下调和缺失率分别为25.0%/15.6%、29.7%/23.4%;在子宫颈癌中LMP2、LMP7蛋白的表达下调和缺失率分别为17.5%/34.9%、23.8%/41.3%.临床病理参数进行分析发现LMP2、LMP7与子宫颈癌分化程度及淋巴结转移密切相关(P<0.05).(2)PCR结果显示,HPV16的检出率随着子宫颈病变的进展而增加,在慢性子宫颈炎、CIN和子宫颈癌组织中阳性率分别为8%(2/25)、67.2%(43/64)和77.8%(49/63),且随着肿瘤恶性程度的增加其阳性表达率增加,各组间阳性表达差异有统计学意义(P<0.05).在CIN中LMP7表达下调与HPV16感染有关(P<0.05),子宫颈癌中LMP2和LMP7表达下调与HPV16感染有关(P<0.05).结论 LMP基因的转录表达下调或蛋白质表达缺失与维吾尔族妇女子宫颈癌病变进程密切相关,其中HPV16感染可能是重要原因之一.     

Association of HPV infection with prognosis after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in advanced uterine cervical cancer

Whether the human papillomavirus (HPV) status of the tumor affects the sensitivity to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and the prognosis in advanced uterine cervical cancer (FIGO stage III or higher) remains unknown. We examined the HPV status of 43 patients who had received CDDP therapy by balloon-occluded arterial infusion (BOAI), as neoadjuvant chemotherapy for advanced uterine cervical cancer (squamous cell carcinoma) stage III or higher. DNA was extracted from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor samples obtained by punch biopsy before the neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The detection of HPV and its typing were analyzed by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assay using consensus primers for the L1 consensus regions. HPV DNA was detected in all 43 patients (100%): 29 cases with HPV 16 (67.4%), 5 cases with HPV 33 (11.6%), 4 cases with HPV 31 (9.3%), 3 cases with HPV 35 (7.0%), 1 case with HPV 18 (2.3%) and 1 case with HPV 58 (2.3%). The HPV types were divided into 3 groups, HPV 16, HPV 33 and other HPV types (HPV 18, 31, 35, 58), and comparisons and examinations were performed among the 3 groups. Although the rates of tumor reduction and operation accomplishment after 3 courses of BOAI showed no significant differences among the 3 groups, there were significant differences in the survival rates. The survival rate of advanced uterine cervical cancer patients with HPV 33 infection was the highest, followed by that of patients with HPV 16 infection. The survival rates of patients with the other types of HPV infection were the worst among the 3 groups and significantly lower than those of patients with HPV 16 or HPV 33 infection. The differences in the curative effect after BOAI may depend on the different characters of the HPV types.     

IgG in cervicovaginal mucus traps HSV and prevents vaginal Herpes infections

IgG is the predominant immunoglobulin in cervicovaginal mucus (CVM), yet how immunoglobulin G (IgG) in mucus can protect against infections is not fully understood. IgG diffuses rapidly through cervical mucus, slowed only slightly by transient adhesive interactions with mucins. We hypothesize that this almost unhindered diffusion allows IgG to accumulate rapidly on pathogen surfaces, and the resulting IgG array forms multiple weak adhesive crosslinks to mucus gel that effectively trap (immobilize) pathogens, preventing them from initiating infections. Here, we report that herpes simplex virus serotype 1 (HSV-1) readily penetrated fresh, pH-neutralized ex vivo samples of CVM with low or no detectable levels of anti-HSV-1 IgG but was trapped in samples with even modest levels of anti-HSV-1 IgG. In samples with little or no endogenous anti-HSV-1 IgG, addition of exogenous anti-HSV-1 IgG, affinity-purified from intravenous immunoglobulin, trapped virions at concentrations below those needed for neutralization and with similar potency as endogenous IgG. Deglycosylating purified anti-HSV-1 IgG, or removing its Fc component, markedly reduced trapping potency. Finally, a non-neutralizing IgG against HSV-gG significantly protected mice against vaginal infection, and removing vaginal mucus by gentle lavage abolished protection. These observations suggest that IgG-Fc has a glycan-dependent “muco-trapping” effector function that may provide exceptionally potent protection at mucosal surfaces.     

喀什维吾尔族宫颈癌患者HPV16型感染及其人类白细胞抗原-DQB1基因多态性的关系

目的 探讨HPV16型病毒感染与宿主人类白细胞抗原HLA-DQB1基因多态性和喀什维吾尔族宫颈癌发生的相关性.方法 采用导流杂交基因芯片技术及聚合酶联反应序列特异性寡核苷酸探针(Polymerase chain reaction sequence-specific oligonucleotide ,PCR-SSO)法检测111例喀什维吾尔族宫颈癌患者、100例正常妇女宫颈组织HPV感染及型别分布和HLA-DQB1的等位基因.结果 (1)111例宫颈癌患者中,HPV总感染率81.9%(91/111),其中HPV16型感染占的比例最高,为91.2%(83/91),100例正常宫颈组织中HPV阳性者为9例,阳性率为9.00%(9/100),其中HPV16阳性2例,两组之间差异有显著性(P<0.01).(2)HLA-DQB1·03在宫颈癌组中出现的频率明显低于对照组,两组之间差异有统计学意义(χ2=4,P=0,OR=0.607,95% CI=1.042～2.478).HLA-DQB1·06在宫颈癌组中出现的频率明显高于对照组,两组之间差异有统计学意义(χ2=7.112、P=0,OR=2,95% CI=1.204～3.549).宫颈癌中HLA-DQB1·06阳性者HPV16的感染率明显高于阴性者(χ2=4.907,P=0.027,OR=2,95% CI=1.092～6.840),两组比较差异有统计学意义,说明携带HLA-DQB1·06等位基因的维吾尔族妇女更容易被HPV16感染.HLA-DQB1的其他等位基因在宫颈癌组及对照组中出现的频率差异无显著性(P>0.05).结论 HLA-DQB1·03可能为维吾尔族妇女宫颈癌的保护基因,而HLA-DQB1·06可能与维吾尔族妇女对宫颈癌的遗传易感性有关,是维吾尔族妇女对宫颈癌的易感基因,HLA-DQB1·06基因型可能增加了HPV16 阳性妇女患宫颈癌的危险性,可能是维吾尔族妇女宫颈癌患病率高的原因之一.维吾尔族妇女宫颈癌易感基因及保护基因的检测可能在高危人群的检测及群体遗传干预工作中有一定的指导意义.     

Alterations in vaginal microbiota among pregnant women with COVID-19

The maintenance of vaginal microbiota is an important factor to achieve optimum pregnancy outcomes. The study aims to describe the alterations in the composition of vaginal microbiota in pregnant women with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This was a prospective case-control study. Vaginal swabs were collected from uninfected pregnant women (n = 28) and pregnant women with COVID-19 (n = 19) during the active phase of infection and within a month after recovering from infection. The vaginal microbiota on the swabs was examined by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Shannon index indicates that alpha diversity is significantly higher in women with COVID-19 (p = 0.012). There was a significant decrease in Firmicutes (p = 0.014) with an increase in Bacteroidota (p = 0.018) phyla and a decrease in Lactobacillus (p = 0.007) genus in women with COVID-19 than those of uninfected pregnant women. The relative abundance of L. crispatus, L. iners, L. gasseri, and L. jensenii were lower in the COVID-19 group than in uninfected pregnant women. In subgroup analysis, the amount of Ureaplasma spp. was higher in women with moderate/severe than those of asymptomatic/mild disease (p = 0.036). The study revealed that vaginal dysbiosis with low abundance of Lactobacillus species occurred in pregnant women infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2. These findings may lead to new studies to elucidate the risk of pregnancy adverse outcomes related to COVID-19.     

Persistence and clearance of HPV from the penis of men infected and non-infected with HIV

Due to high rates of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, the incidence of intraepithelial neoplasia and anal cancer, most studies concerning HPV in men seropositive for HIV have focused on the anal canal. Few studies have targeted the penile region in HIV-infected men. A total of 72 men seropositive for HIV and 72 men seronegative for HIV were followed-up for 6 months, and their penile exfoliated cells were tested for HPV DNA. There were no significant differences between the HIV-positive and HIV-negative men in persistence (respectively, 69.5% vs. 66.9%), clearance (respectively, 15.3% vs. 23.1%), and those men never infected with HPV during the four follow-up visits (15.2% for HIV-positive vs. 20% for HIV-negative). High-risk HPV types were detected more frequently in penile smears from men infected with HIV, while, in HIV-seronegative men, the low-risk HPV types were more abundant (P = 0.001). Multiple infections with both high- and low-risk HPV types were significantly more frequent in HIV-seropositive compared to those who were HIV-seronegative (P = 0.0004). The attendance rates at follow-up visits were 86%, 78%, and 58% in months 1, 2, and 6, respectively, for men infected with HIV and 93%, 72%, and 60% for the HIV-negative group. It is concluded that HIV infection can be considered a risk factor for clearance and persistence of HPV. Multiple infections with different types of HPV including high-risk HPVs are frequent in men who are infected with HIV.     

Mucosal immunology of HIV infection

Recent advances in the immunology, pathogenesis, and prevention of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection continue to reveal clues to the mechanisms involved in the progressive immunodeficiency attributed to infection, but more importantly have shed light on the correlates of immunity to infection and disease progression. HIV selectively infects, eliminates, and/or dysregulates several key cells of the human immune system, thwarting multiple arms of the host immune response, and inflicting severe damage to mucosal barriers, resulting in tissue infiltration of ‘symbiotic’ intestinal bacteria and viruses that essentially become opportunistic infections promoting systemic immune activation. This leads to activation and recruitment or more target cells for perpetuating HIV infection, resulting in persistent, high-level viral replication in lymphoid tissues, rapid evolution of resistant strains, and continued evasion of immune responses. However, vaccine studies and studies of spontaneous controllers are finally providing correlates of immunity from protection and disease progression, including virus-specific CD4⁺ T-cell responses, binding anti-bodies, innate immune responses, and generation of antibodies with potent antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity activity. Emerging correlates of immunity indicate that prevention of HIV infection may be possible through effective vaccine strategies that protect and stimulate key regulatory cells and immune responses in susceptible hosts. Furthermore, immune therapies specifically directed toward boosting specific aspects of the immune system may eventually lead to a cure for HIV-infected patients.     

The immunology of malaria infection

As global malaria mortality increases the urgency for vaccine development, analysis of immune responses in naturally exposed populations is providing clues to the nature of protective immunity. Recently, sophisticated immune evasion strategies adopted by the parasite have been analysed at the molecular level. More immunogenic vaccination strategies have been identified, providing renewed optimism that effective malaria control through vaccination should be feasible.     

Hepatitis C virus spontaneous clearance: immunology and genetic variance

Abstract Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is one of the most common chronic viral infections in the world. Approximately 80-90% of acutely infected individuals develop persistent infection, which is a major risk for liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. However, a small portion of patients (10-20%) clear the virus. Clinical outcomes of HCV infection are determined by the interplay between the host immune response, and viral and environmental factors. In regulating immune responses, cytokines play an indispensable role that controls the underlying pathogenesis and the resulting outcome of HCV infection. Cytokines themselves are manipulated by polymorphisms in their genes. In fact, the majority of genetic variants that apparently confer a significant risk for chronic HCV infection have been localized in genes involved in cytokine synthesis and the ultimate immune response. So far, treatment strategies for HCV infection have remained controversial. Genotyping of different polymorphisms will aid clinical decision making for both current standard and personalized care. Genotyping can potentially be useful for future integration of other agents, which provides an opportunity for clinicians to personalize treatment regimens for HCV patients. This review summarizes findings of different studies on host immune responses after HCV infection and the association between cytokine gene polymorphisms and the likelihood of HCV clearance.     

Molecular virology and immunology of HIV infection

Great progress has been made with respect to our understanding of the immunopathogenesis of AIDS and the infectious agent, HIV, that causes the disease. HIV, a human retrovirus with tropism for CD4(+) T cells and monocytes, induces a decrease of T-cell counts, T-cell dysfunction, and, ultimately, immunodeficiency. HIV also causes B-cell dysfunction characterized by polyclonal activation, hypergammaglobulinemia, and lack of specific antibody responses. Chemokine receptors-mainly CCR5 and CXCR4-have been found to be necessary for viral entry into the host cell, a step that can be inhibited by chemokine-related molecules that are ligands for those receptors. After HIV infection, a strong cellular immunity develops and partially controls viral replication. It can take several years for HIV infection to become clinically evident. Studies in long-term nonprogressors have shown the determinant roles of both helper and cytotoxic T cells in the control of HIV disease. Advances in HIV immunology research are currently being applied in the development of prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines.     

Dilution assessment of cervicovaginal secretions obtained by vaginal washing for immunological assays.

Local immunological defense mechanisms in the cervicovaginal mucosa currently remain incompletely defined, especially from a quantitative point of view. Addition of an inert substance, lithium chloride (LiCl), into the washing buffer used to carry out the vaginal washing for collecting cervicovaginal secretions and measurement of its concentration with a flame absorption spectrophotometer, before and after the specimen is sampled, permits the quantification of the volume of cervicovaginal secretions collected and the approximation of the dilution factor of a soluble component introduced by the washing. Lithium, at a concentration of 10 mM, gives the best precision of measurement and has no effect on the results of the immunoassays. In a population of 27 nonpregnant women (age range, 18 to 45 years), the volume of cervicovaginal secretions collected by vaginal washing with 3 ml of LiCl-phosphate-buffered saline was 12% +/- 3.2% (mean +/- standard deviation) of the total volume and showed large interindividual variations (range, 5.6 to 18.8%); the mean dilution factor of a soluble component from the vaginal secretions was 9.9% +/- 2.8% (range, 6.3 to 18.8%). According to the date of the menstrual cycle, the mean volume of collected cervicovaginal secretions was significantly increased in the luteal phase in comparison with the follicular phase; conversely, the mean dilution factor of a soluble component was more important in the follicular than in the luteal phase. These features strengthen the need to quantify accurately the dilution factor introduced by vaginal washing when studying cervicovaginal immunity.     

Association of polymorphism in MicroRNA 219‐1 with clearance of hepatitis B virus infection

Polymorphisms in the primary microRNA region may be associated with natural course of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. This study evaluated if the mircoRNA 219‐1 (miR‐219‐1) polymorphism can influence the susceptibility towards persistence of HBV infection and the progression to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic HBV infection. A total of 1,439 individuals having either past or present evidence of HBV infection were enrolled for the study. The subjects were divided into four groups; (1) spontaneous recovery (n = 404), (2) chronic HBV carrier (n = 313), (3) chronic HBV carrier with cirrhosis (n = 305), and (4) hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 417). Genotyping was performed at three polymorphic variants (rs421446, rs107822, and rs213210) in the pri‐miRNA region of miR‐219‐1. The rs421446 T allele was found to be strongly associated with HBV clearance (OR = 0.73, P = 0.0005 in a codominant model and OR = 0.67, P = 0.0009 in a dominant model, OR = 0.69, P = 0.04 in a recessive model, respectively). The rs107822 G allele was also found to be associated with HBV clearance (OR = 0.79, P = 0.008 in a codominant model and OR = 0.72, P = 0.01 in a dominant model, respectively). In haplotype analysis, ht2 (T‐G‐T) and ht1 (C‐A‐C) were found to be in significant association with the clearance of HBV. However, no significant association was observed between miR‐219‐1 polymorphism and the risk of HCC occurrence. This result suggests that polymorphisms in the pri‐miRNA region of miR‐219‐1 might be a genetic factor for HBV clearance after infection. J. Med. Virol. 85:808–814, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Expression of HPV L1 capsid protein in cervical specimens with HPV infection

We tried to investigate the expression rate of human papillomavirus (HPV) L1 capsid protein in uterine cervical specimens and correlate it with the grade of dysplasia, HPV genotype and age of the patients. Among uterine cervical specimens proved to have HPV by DNA genotyping test, eighty cytology-biopsy matched cases and 22 unmatched cytology specimens were selected. Immunostaining for L1 capsid protein was performed on both cervical smears and tissue sections. The L1 capsid protein was expressed mainly in the nuclei, but occasionally in the cytoplasm of cells located in the superficial layer of squamous epithelium. The immunostaining for L1 capsid protein showed positive reaction in 47 cases (46.1%) of cervical smears and in 10 cases (12.5%) of tissue sections (P = 0.001). Cytologic diagnosis revealed a higher expression rate in LSILs (25/33; 75.8%) than in HSILs and cervical cancers (8/20; 40.0% and 2/5; 40%, respectively) (P = 0.006). In LSILs, cases with low-risk type HPV showed a higher L1 capsid expression rate than those with the high-risk type HPV (88.9% vs. 70.8%). The L1 capsid expression rate decreased in the over-40-year-old age group compared to the younger age (49.2% vs. 50.8%). Cytology smears were superior to tissue sections for the detection of L1 capsid protein expression. LSILs and HPV low-risk group showed higher L1 capsid expression rate than HSILs and HPV high-risk group, which suggests that L1 capsid expression might be related to a favorable disease biology.