HIV is associated with endothelial activation despite ART, in a sub-Saharan African setting.

Objective: To study the relationship between endothelial dysfunction, HIV infection, and stroke in Malawians.

Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, we measured plasma levels of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and soluble thrombomodulin (sTM) in stroke patients and controls, stratified by HIV status. These biomarkers were measured using ELISA.

A metabolite profiling method for diagnosis of precancerous cervical lesions and HPV persistence.

Aim: With the advent of rapid metabolic profiling techniques and of portable mass spectrometers we examined whether cells distinguished by their cytology and persistence of human papillomavirus infection, could be easily differentiated by their metabolite profile.

Materials & Methods: Direct injection electrospray mass spectrometry was used in a nontargeted double-blind experiment. Samples were collected from women diagnosed with one of two grades of cervical cytology and exhibiting either human papilloma virus persistence or clearance.

Whole genome sequencing of an African American family highlights toll like receptor 6 variants in Kawasaki disease susceptibility.

Kawasaki disease (KD) is the most common acquired pediatric heart disease. We analyzed Whole Genome Sequences (WGS) from a 6-member African American family in which KD affected two of four children. We sought rare, potentially causative genotypes by sequentially applying the following WGS filters: sequence quality scores, inheritance model (recessive homozygous and compound heterozygous), predicted deleteriousness, allele frequency, genes in KD-associated pathways or with significant associations in published KD genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and with differential expression in KD blood transcriptomes.

Methyl Donor Status Influences DNMT Expression and Global DNA Methylation in Cervical Cancer Cells.

Background: Methyl donor status influences DNA stability and DNA methylation although little is known about effects on DNA methyltransferases. The aim of this study was to determine whether methyldonor status influences DNA methyltransferase (Dnmt) gene expression in cervical cancer cells, and if so, whether there are associated effects on global DNA methylation.

Materials And Methods: The human cervical cancer cell line, C4 II, was grown in complete medium and medium depleted of folate (FM+) and folate and methionine (FM).

Tumour suppressor gene methylation and cervical cell folate concentration are determinants of high-risk human papillomavirus persistence: a nested case control study.

Background: Persistent infection with one or more high-risk human papillomavirus [HR-HPV] types increases the risk of intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical cancer. A nested case-control study was conducted to investigate the importance of cervical cell folate concentration and tumour suppressor gene methylation as risk factors for HR-HPV persistence.

Methods: Cervical cell samples from 955 women with HR-HPV infection and normal, borderline or mild dyskaryosis were retrieved from the archive of a population-based screening trial.