The relationship between vulvar micropapillomatosis and HPV-infection

The etiology and the clinical significance of vulvar papillomatosis are still controversial. In order to study the relationship between micropapillomatosis labialis with some types of HPV infection we examined 60 patients with colposcopic characteristics of vulvar papillomatosis. Vulvar biopsies were taken for histological examination and for in situ hybridisation. 20 patients with vulvodynia without pathological findings in the region of the vulva served as a control group. Histological evidence for HPV infection were discovered in 50 patients /83.33%/ with vulvar papillomatosis, while 3 patients /5%/ were positive for HPV-DMA. These results show the rare relationship between the vestibular papillomatosis and HPV-infection. According to our study the physicians must be very cautious when treating these lesions, by positive histological results. The colposcopy is of fundamental importance for accurate diagnosis of vestibular papillomatosis and for successful treatment.     

Human papilloma virus (HPV) infection and its relationship with central intra-epithelial neoplasia (CIN)

HPV (Human papillomavirus) infection is strongly associated and is the main cause of cervical cancer. The main target for HPV viruses is the cervical transformation zone. In our work infection with HPV 18 and HPV 16 as also other types of viruses were investigated in 15 patients by taking biopsies. Before hand the patients were signalized by cytology as well as all of them were colposcopically examined. The samples were examined immunohistochemically in the laboratory at the Specialized Hospital for Active Treatment in Oncology. Nine out of 15 patients /60%/ were found positive for HPV-16, five /33%/ were found positive for HPV-18 and 1 /6.6%/ were infected with both HPV types. Our method is very sensitive and practical for determining at very high risk of developing HPV connected cervical cancer.     

Homozygous mutations in caveolin-3 cause a severe form of rippling muscle disease

Heterozygous missense mutations in the caveolin-3 gene (CAV3) cause different muscle disorders. Most patients with CAV3 alterations present with rippling muscle disease (RMD) characterized by signs of increased muscle irritability without muscle weakness. In some patients, CAV3 mutations underlie the progressive limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 1C (LGMD1C). Here, we report two unrelated patients with novel homozygous mutations (L86P and A92T) in CAV3. Both presented with a more severe clinical phenotype than usually seen in RMD. Immunohistochemical and immunoblot analyses of muscle biopsies showed a strong reduction of caveolin-3 in both homozygous RMD patients similar to the findings in heterozygous RMD. Electron microscopy studies showed a nearly complete absence of caveolae in the sarcolemma in all RMD patients analyzed. Additional plasma membrane irregularities (small plasmalemmal discontinuities, subsarcolemmal vacuoles, abnormal papillary projections) were more pronounced in homozygous than in heterozygous RMD patients. A stronger activation of nitric oxide synthase was observed in both homozygous patients compared with heterozygous RMD. Like in LGMD1C, dysferlin immunoreactivity is reduced in RMD but more pronounced in homozygous as compared with heterozygous RMD. Thus, we further extend the phenotypic variability of muscle caveolinopathies by identification of a severe form of RMD associated with homozygous CAV3 mutations.     

Satisfaction with the dentition related to dental functional status and tooth replacement in an adult Bulgarian population: a cross-sectional study

Objectives

The purpose of this study is to assess satisfaction with the dentition in general, dental esthetics, and chewing function related to dental functional status and tooth replacement in subjects, dentate in both jaws.

Materials and methods

Dentitions of subjects (n?=?2,437) aged ≥20 years were categorized in a hierarchical functional classification system, with and without tooth replacements, according to four dental conditions: ‘≥10 teeth in each jaw’, ‘complete anterior regions’, ‘sufficient premolar regions’ (≥3 occluding pairs), and ‘sufficient molar regions’ (bilaterally ≥1 occluding pair). Likelihood ratios (LR) were used to express the ability of these conditions to discriminate between satisfied and not satisfied subjects. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated to evaluate associations between satisfaction, the four dental conditions separately, and tooth replacement.

Results

In the hierarchical system, subjects having ‘<10 teeth’ were more likely of being not satisfied with their dentitions (LR 4.09), esthetics (LR 3.51), and chewing (LR 5.49). As a separate condition, ‘≥10 teeth’ was significantly associated only with satisfaction with chewing. The conditions ‘complete anterior regions’ and ‘sufficient’ premolar and molar regions’ were associated with all satisfaction variables (ORs 1.47–2.96, p values ≤0.012). When dental conditions were determined on the basis of natural teeth only, having teeth replaced was positively correlated with satisfaction; when determined on the basis of natural plus replaced teeth, subjects having teeth replaced tended to be less satisfied than their counterparts with natural teeth only.

Conclusions

Satisfaction was strongly associated with dental functional status.

Clinical relevance

Dental configurations comprising both natural and artificial teeth were less likely to provide the same level of satisfaction as equivalent dental configurations comprising natural teeth only.     

Substituted adamantylphthalimides: Synthesis,antiviral and antiproliferative activity

In this study, three groups of adamantylphthalimides, bearing different substituents at the phthalimide moiety, N-(4′-R²)phthalimidoadamantanes ( 1 – 7 ), 3-[N-(4′-R²)phthalimido]-1-adamantanols ( 8 – 10 ), and 3-[N-(4′-R²)phthalimido]adamantane-1-carboxylic acids ( 11 – 15 ), were synthesized and screened against tumor cells and viruses. The most potent compounds are not substituted at the adamantane and bear an OH or NH₂ substituent at the phthalimide (compounds 3 and 5 ). The antiproliferative activities of compounds 3 and 5 are in the micromolar range, much higher than the one of thalidomide. A minor antiviral activity against cytomegalovirus and varicella-zoster virus was found for compounds 3 and 5 , but these compounds lacked selectivity. The results presented are important for the rational design of the next-generation compounds with anticancer and antiviral activities.     

Placental soluble fms-like tyrosine-kinase-1 (sFlt-1) in pregnant women with preeclampsia

The pathophysiology of preeclampsia remains largely unknown. A number of circulating placenta-produced factors have been implicated in causing the endothelial dysfunction and the clinical phenotype characteristic of preeclampsia. AIM: Determination of serum levels of placental soluble fms-like tyrosine-kinase-1 (sFlt-1) in pregnant women with preeclampsia. Eleven pregnant women with preeclampsia and 11 healthy women (controls) were included in the study. Determination of sFlt-1 was done with ELISA. The mean serum sFlt-1 levels of pregnant women with preeclampsia were twice as high as that of women with normal pregnancy. The highest level of sFlt-1 was found in women with severe preeclampsia. In women with mild form of preeclampsia the sFlt-1 level was close to that of the controls. sFlt-1 appears to be involved in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia and its serum levels can be used as a diagnostic marker of preeclampsia.