Human papillomavirus types 16 and 18 and the prognosis of patients with stage I cervical cancer

OBJECTIVE:

This study sought to evaluate the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18 in women with clinical stage IB cervical cancer treated by radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy as well as to establish a correlation between HPV type and cancer prognosis.

METHODS:

A single-center cohort study was conducted with 86 patients who had undergone radical hysterectomy for stage I cervical cancer. Prognostic factors and the presence of HPV 16 and 18 were analyzed using a polymerase chain reaction assay. A univariate analysis using Kaplan-Meier curves was conducted to estimate survival.

RESULTS:

The prevalence of HPV 16 in the study group was 65.3%, and the prevalence of HPV 18 was 33.3%. The prevalence of infection with both viruses was 26.9%. Overall survival at 5 years was 91% among women with HPV 18 and 96% among those without this virus type (p = 0.133). Among the women with HPV 16, the overall survival was 94%, whereas this rate was 96% among those without this virus type (p = 0.663). Disease-free survival was unaffected by the presence of HPV type 16 or 18.

CONCLUSION:

In the present study, despite the high prevalence of HPV types 16 and 18, the presence of these virus types did not affect the prognosis of patients with stage I cervical cancer who underwent radical hysterectomy.     

SYFSA: A framework for Systematic Yet Flexible Systems Analysis

Although technological or organizational systems that enforce systematic procedures and best practices can lead to improvements in quality, these systems must also be designed to allow users to adapt to the inherent uncertainty, complexity, and variations in healthcare. We present a framework, called Systematic Yet Flexible Systems Analysis (SYFSA) that supports the design and analysis of Systematic Yet Flexible (SYF) systems (whether organizational or technical) by formally considering the tradeoffs between systematicity and flexibility. SYFSA is based on analyzing a task using three related problem spaces: the idealized space, the natural space, and the system space. The idealized space represents the best practice—how the task is to be accomplished under ideal conditions. The natural space captures the task actions and constraints on how the task is currently done. The system space specifies how the task is done in a redesigned system, including how it may deviate from the idealized space, and how the system supports or enforces task constraints. The goal of the framework is to support the design of systems that allow graceful degradation from the idealized space to the natural space. We demonstrate the application of SYFSA for the analysis of a simplified central line insertion task. We also describe several information-theoretic measures of flexibility that can be used to compare alternative designs, and to measure how efficiently a system supports a given task, the relative cognitive workload, and learnability.     

Development of an Enzyme‐Linked Immunoassay for Sensitive Detection of Native and Recombinant Human Interferon‐γ Using Whole IgG Fraction as Polyclonal Tracer

Abstract

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and polyclonal antibodies (pAbs) against human interferon gamma (IFN‐γ) were produced and used for development of a sensitive enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection and quantitation of native and recombinant human IFN‐γ in tissue culture fluid and human sera. The human IFN‐γ ELISA was constructed using mAb CAy‐IFNg111 as the capture antibody (Ab) and biotinylated polyclonal mouse immunoglobulin G (IgG) as the tracer Ab. The assay is completed within 4?hr at room temperature (RT). The human IFN‐γ ELISA worked in tissue culture medium and human serum and was capable of detecting both recombinant and native human IFN‐γ. The assay dynamic range extended from 16 to 1000?pg/mL and the sensitivity level was less than 3?pg/mL of human IFN‐γ with averaged intra‐ and inter‐assay variation coefficients less than 8% for both. The results demonstrated that without the need of an antigen‐affinity purification, biotinylation of protein G‐purified pAb, obtained from 1?mL of mouse blood, was sufficient for constructing the tracer reagent for the establishment of a highly sensitive ELISA (40,000 test) for the quantitative detection of native and recombinant human IFN‐γ in culture supernatant and human sera.     

An Enzyme-Immunoassay for Human Interleukin-2

Abstract

A highly sensitive enzyme-immunoassay (EIA) for human interleukin-2 (IL-2) has been established. The assay is based on a sandwich method that uses two kinds of anti-IL-2 antibodies raised against Escherichia coli-derived recombinant IL-2 (rIL-2). An affinity-purified-anti-IL-2 goat IgG was used as the first antibody and the Fab' fragment of an affinity-purified-anti-IL-2 rabbit IgG was used as the second antibody after being coupled with horseradish peroxidase (HRP). As little as 30 pg/ml of IL-2 was detected by the EIA, indicating that this method was about 100 times more sensitive than the bioassay using an IL-2-dependent murine natural killer cell line, NKC3. There was a good correlation between the EIA and the bioassay (r=0.998).     

Human papillomavirus and oral disease – emerging evidence: a review

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections have received considerable attention in recent years. Of the 120 or so known types of the virus, some cause a variety of benign wart‐like lesions of the skin and genital and oral mucosae, whilst others are aetiologically associated with cervical and anogenital cancers. Recent epidemiologic evidence suggests that HPV may also be an independent risk factor for oropharyngeal cancer. In this context it has been suggested that HPV virus may modulate the process of carcinogenesis in some tobacco and alcohol induced oropharyngeal cancers and act as the primary oncogenic agent for inducing carcinogenesis among non‐smokers. Dental practitioners have a major role in detecting all lesions of the oral mucosa caused, or possibly caused, by HPV. This paper briefly reviews the current state of knowledge of molecular and clinical aspects of HPV infections of the oral mucosa.     

Augmentation of the floor of the maxillary sinus with recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-7: a pilot radiological and histological study in humans

The aim of this study was to evaluate the quantity and quality of bony regeneration after we had used recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-7 (rhBMP-7 to augment the floor of the maxillary sinus. Nine consecutive patients with bilateral posterior maxillary atrophy who required augmentation of the sinus for interposition of implants were treated simultaneously with rhBMP-7 (Osigraft) with deproteinised bone substitute (0.5 g on the test side) and with deproteinised bone alone (2.0 g on the control side). Computed tomographic images preoperatively, immediately postoperatively, and at 4 months postoperatively showed a mean (SD) postoperative gain of 10.8 (3.0) mm on the test side and of 10.2 (1.8) mm on the control side. Histological and histomorphometric analyses of biopsy specimens showed that there was significantly more new bone on the control side (19.9 (6.8)%) than on the test side (6.6 (4.8)%). In this pilot controlled trial of the use of rhBMP-7, histological analyses showed that it resulted in the formation of less bone than treatment with inorganic bovine hydroxyapatite.     

Using bearing area parameters to quantify early erosive tooth surface changes in enamel: A pilot study

Objectives

Most in vitro studies investigate the erosive process using relatively simple roughness parameters such as roughness average (R_a). In isolation, R_a may misrepresent the surface features. Further, few studies report baseline surface characteristics after sample preparation. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that measuring the bearing area parameters in addition to R_a may be useful when qualifying the surface of enamel at baseline and after an erosive challenge. The null hypothesis for this study was that the bearing area parameters provide no more useful information than R_a alone, when qualifying the surface of enamel at baseline and after an erosive challenge.

Methods

Enamel slabs (n = 20) were prepared from human (n = 2) and bovine (n = 4) incisor teeth and polished with 0.05 μm paste. Roughness average (R_a) and bearing parameters (MR1, MR2, R_pk, R_k, R_vk) were used to record baseline characteristics. Specimens were subjected to erosion with 1% citric acid solution for 1 min. Profilometric characteristics were recorded post-erosion, along with the maximum height changes within the profile. T-tests were carried out in order to compare baseline surface characteristics between tissue types. Post-erosion, analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test the effects of tissue type (bovine or human).

Results

There was no significant difference in R_a between human and bovine incisor enamel at baseline (human 0.11 μm, bovine 0.12 μm P > 0.05), and no significant difference was observed post-erosion (human 0.23 μm, bovine 0.20 μm P > 0.05). There were significant differences in bearing parameters at baseline and post-erosion that were not identified by the R_a measurement alone.

Conclusions

The results suggest that if R_a alone is measured, important differences in surface characteristics may be missed. The null hypothesis is rejected, and the recommendation is made that bearing parameters are included within profile measurements in order to further triangulate the results of surface analysis studies.

Clinical relevance

In isolation, R_a may misrepresent the surface features of a profile. These results have shown that the bearing parameters are an important and informative set of measurements. The recommendation is made that bearing parameters are included within profile measurements at baseline and post-erosion, in order to further triangulate the results of surface analysis studies.     

雌激素与机械张应力对碱性成纤维细胞生长因子的影响

目的研究雌激素与机械张应力共同作用对人牙周膜成纤维细胞(human periodontal ligament fibroblast,HPDLF)增殖分化相关因子碱性成纤维细胞生长因子(basic fibroblast growth factor,bFGF)mRNA表达水平的影响。方法体外培养HPDLF,分为两组。实验组使用10-7mol/L雌激素干预后,使用4点弯曲加力装置对HP-DLF进行张应力加载;对照组不使用雌激素干预,只进行机械张应力加载。采用实时多聚酶链反应、琼脂糖凝胶电泳和紫外线分析检测HPDLF加力时3、6、12 h时bFGF基因的表达。结果加力0、3、6、12 h时,对照组bF-GFmRNA表达量光密度值分别为1.000,3.245±0.261,4.498±0.431,7.969±0.597,实验组bFGFmRNA表达量光密度值分别为16.736±1.003,22.542±1.768,27.923±1.914,31.556±2.142。雌激素干预与张应力加载共同作用与单纯受到机械张应力作用相比,bFGF的mRNA表达量明显上调(P<0.05)。结论雌激素对机械张应力状态下的牙周膜成纤维细胞增殖分化相关因子bFGF有较强调控作用,表现为bFGF的mRNA表达量显著上升。     

淫羊藿苷抑制牙龈卟啉单胞菌超声提取物对人牙周膜细胞增殖及骨保护素表达的影响

目的 探讨不同浓度淫羊藿苷抑制牙龈卟啉单胞菌超声提取物对人牙周膜细胞增殖及骨保护素（OPG）表达的影响.方法 体外培养人牙周膜细胞,用四唑盐（MTT）法检测不同浓度淫羊藿苷（0、0.001、0.01、0.1、1 μg/ml）及50μg/ml牙龈卟啉单胞菌超声提取物,不同时间（24、48、72h）作用下人牙周膜细胞的增殖水平.用RT-PCR及Western blot检测48h人牙周膜细胞骨保护素mRNA和蛋白的表达.结果 淫羊藿苷从0.01～1μg/ml对人牙周膜细胞增殖及骨保护素mRNA和蛋白的表达有促进作用（P＜0.01）,浓度为0.1μg/ml作用最显著.结论 淫羊藿苷可抑制牙龈卟啉单胞菌超声提取物对人牙周膜细胞增殖及骨保护素mRNA和蛋白表达的影响,促进人牙周膜细胞增殖及骨保护素mRNA和蛋白表达.