Effectiveness of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination Against Penile HPV Infection in Men Who Have Sex With Men and Transgender Women.

Background: In the United States, human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination has been recommended since 2011 for boys aged 11-12 years, with catch-up vaccination recommended through age 26 years for previously unvaccinated men who have sex with men (MSM).

Methods: During 2016-2018, a cross-sectional study enrolled MSM and transgender women aged 18-26 years in Seattle, Washington. Participants submitted self-collected penile swab specimens for HPV genotyping.

Understanding the Role of Emerging Vitamin D Biomarkers on Short-term Persistence of High-Risk Human Papillomavirus Infection Among Mid-Adult Women.

Background: Associations between vitamin D biomarkers and persistent high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) detection have not been evaluated.

Methods: 2011-2012 stored sera from 72 women aged 30-50 years with prevalent hrHPV (n = 116 type-specific infections) were tested for 5 vitamin D biomarkers: 25(OH)D and 4 emerging biomarkers, 1,25(OH)2D; 24,25(OH)2D; free vitamin D; and vitamin D binding protein (DBP). The hrHPV detection patterns (persistent vs transient/sporadic) were determined using cervicovaginal swabs collected monthly for 6 months.

Serum Concentrations of Emerging Vitamin D Biomarkers and Detection of Prevalent High-Risk HPV Infection in Mid-adult Women.

Background: Vitamin D has potential immunomodulating benefits in infection. One prior population-based cross-sectional study showed a protective association between serum concentrations of 25(OH)D and high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) detection. Additional biomarkers present at different stages along the vitamin D metabolic pathway may more completely characterize vitamin D status but have not yet been evaluated in relation to hrHPV infection.

Sexual Behavior Patterns and Condom Use in Newly Sexually Active Female University Students.

Our objective was to describe sexual behavior patterns and condom use in newly sexually active female university students. We conducted a 4-year retrospective cohort study (2000-2007) of university women enrolled close to sexual debut (N = 250). Participants reported daily information on intercourse, condom use, and partner/partnership characteristics into Web-based biweekly sexual behavior diaries.

Prevalence and Correlates of β- and γ-Human Papillomavirus Detection in Oral Samples From Mid-Adult Women.

Background: Little is known about the epidemiology of β and γ human papillomaviruses (HPVs) in oral cavities of healthy women.

Methods: We performed multiplex polymerase chain reaction analysis for detection of 46 β-HPVs and 51 γ-HPVs in stored oral rinse samples from healthy mid-adult women (age, 30-50 years). A total of 407 women were tested for β-HPVs, and 310 were tested for γ-HPVs.

Prevalence and correlates of beta human papillomavirus detection in fingernail samples from mid-adult women.

Cutaneous human papillomaviruses (HPVs) have not been evaluated in fingernails from healthy individuals. To determine prevalence and correlates of β-HPVs in fingernails from healthy mid-adult women, we tested archived samples collected from 2011 to 2012 using a multiplex PCR combined with Luminex technology for 46 β-HPV genotypes. One hundred thirteen (61.

Incidence and risk factors for human papillomavirus infections in young female online daters.

Risk factors for incident human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are undefined in young women who use internet dating Web sites. From 2010-2012 we followed 18- to 24-year-old female internet daters (N = 164) triannually for a mean of 1 year. Women collected and returned self-collected vaginal samples for HPV genotyping and health and behavior questionnaires.

Elevated Spontaneous Interferon-γ Secretion in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Persons.

Immune activation in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a well described phenomenon. We found that HIV patients have higher secretion of interferon (IFN)-γ compared with non-HIV subjects, as measured by the "nil" value in the QuantiFERON-TB Gold test, even when viral loads are low. This may reflect ongoing immune activation, even with optimal HIV management.

Re-detection vs. new acquisition of high-risk human papillomavirus in mid-adult women.

To understand high-risk (hr) human papillomavirus (HPV) epidemiology in mid-adulthood, we assessed whether associations between incident detection of hrHPV DNA and recent sexual behavior differed according to whether or not there was serologic evidence of prior infection. From 2011 to 2012, we enrolled 409 women aged 30-50 years into a 6-month longitudinal study. We collected health and sexual behavior histories, enrollment sera for HPV antibody testing, and monthly self-collected vaginal swabs for HPV DNA genotyping.

Incident Detection of High-Risk Human Papillomavirus Infections in a Cohort of High-Risk Women Aged 25-65 Years.

Background: The risk of incident high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection associated with recent sexual behaviors is undefined in mid-adult women (defined as women aged 25-65 years).

Methods: Triannually, 420 female online daters aged 25-65 years submitted vaginal specimens for HPV testing and completed health and sexual behavior questionnaires. The cumulative incidence of and risk factors for incident HR-HPV detection were estimated by Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards methods.

Determinants of High-Risk Human Papillomavirus Seroprevalence and DNA Prevalence in Mid-Adult Women.

Background: The epidemiology of high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) infections in mid-adult women is not well understood.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 379 women 30 to 50 years of age. Vaginal samples were tested for type-specific HPV DNA by polymerase chain reaction.

Epidemiology of Human Papillomavirus Detected in the Oral Cavity and Fingernails of Mid-Adult Women.

Background: Oral and fingernail human papillomavirus (HPV) detection may be associated with HPV-related carcinoma risk at these nongenital sites and foster transmission to the genitals. We describe the epidemiology of oral and fingernail HPV among mid-adult women.

Methods: Between 2011 and 2012, 409 women aged 30 to 50 years were followed up for 6 months.

Oncogenic Human Papillomavirus Infections in 18- to 24-Year-Old Female Online Daters.

Background: Although risk factors for HPV infections in young women are well defined, the risk associated with meeting male sex partners via the Internet is unclear.

Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional data from 282 women aged 18 to 24 years who reported using Internet dating Web sites in the past year. Women were mailed vaginal self-sampling kits for polymerase chain reaction-based HPV genotyping (including 19 oncogenic types) and sexual behavior and health history questionnaires.

Skin and mucosal human papillomavirus seroprevalence in persons with Fanconi Anemia.

Persons with Fanconi anemia (FA) are at risk for human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cancers; however, their natural HPV exposure and infection rates are unknown as is the adequacy with which they mount antibodies to HPV vaccination. This study aimed to determine, in 62 persons with FA, the seroprevalence of skin and mucosal HPV types, the seroprevalence in individuals self-reporting a history of HPV vaccination, and the factors associated with HPV seropositivity. A bead Luminex assay was used to determine seropositivity for HPV1, -2, and -4 (low-risk skin), -6 and -11 (low-risk mucosal, included in one HPV vaccine), -16 and -18 (high-risk mucosal, included in both HPV vaccines), and -52 and -58 (high-risk mucosal).

Aberrant Methylation Changes Detected in Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Immunocompetent Individuals.

In order to elucidate the role of epigenetic alterations in the development of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), we analyzed both gene-specific promoter hypermethylation and repetitive sequence hypomethylation in cutaneous SCC as well as normal skin tissue samples. We showed that methylation of DAPK1 and CDH13 was associated with cutaneous SCC. While methylation frequency of DAPK1 was increased from sun-protected normal skin, sun-exposed normal skin, perilesional to lesional tissues, methylation of CDH13 was almost exclusively detected in cutaneous SCC tissues.

Viral load and short-term natural history of type-specific oncogenic human papillomavirus infections in a high-risk cohort of midadult women.

Oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) viral load may inform the origin of newly detected infections and characterize oncogenic HPV natural history in midadult women. From 2007 to 2011, we enrolled 521 25-65-year-old-female online daters and followed them triannually with mailed health and sexual behavior questionnaires and kits for self-sampling for PCR-based HPV DNA testing. Samples from oncogenic HPV positive women were selected for type-specific DNA load testing by real-time PCR with adjustment for cellularity.

MicroRNA expression in ovarian carcinoma and its correlation with clinicopathological features.

Background: MicroRNA (miRNA) expression is known to be deregulated in ovarian carcinomas. However, limited data is available about the miRNA expression pattern for the benign or borderline ovarian tumors as well as differential miRNA expression pattern associated with histological types, grades or clinical stages in ovarian carcinomas. We defined patterns of microRNA expression in tissues from normal, benign, borderline, and malignant ovarian tumors and explored the relationship between frequently deregulated miRNAs and clinicopathologic findings, response to therapy, survival, and association with Her-2/neu status in ovarian carcinomas.

Analysis of Tp53 codon 72 polymorphisms, Tp53 mutations, and HPV infection in cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas.

Background: Non-melanoma skin cancers are one of the most common human malignancies accounting for 2-3% of tumors in the US and represent a significant health burden. Epidemiology studies have implicated Tp53 mutations triggered by UV exposure, and human papilloma virus (HPV) infection to be significant causes of non-melanoma skin cancer. However, the relationship between Tp53 and cutaneous HPV infection is not well understood in skin cancers.

Tumor 3'-deoxy-3'-(18)F-fluorothymidine ((18)F-FLT) uptake by PET correlates with thymidine kinase 1 expression: static and kinetic analysis of (18)F-FLT PET studies in lung tumors.

Unlabelled: We report the first, to our knowledge, findings describing the relationships between both static and dynamic analysis parameters of 3'-deoxy-3'-(18)F-fluorothymidine ((18)F-FLT) PET and the expression of the proliferation marker Ki-67, and the protein expression and enzymatic activity of thymidine kinase-1 (TK1) in surgically resected lung lesions.

Methods: Static and dynamic analyses (4 rate constants and 2 compartments) of (18)F-FLT PET images were performed in a cohort of 25 prospectively accrued, clinically suspected lung cancer patients before surgical resection (1 lesion was found to be benign after surgery). The maximal and overall averaged expression of Ki-67 and TK1 were determined by semiquantitative analysis of immunohistochemical staining.

Hypermethylation of CCND2 May Reflect a Smoking-Induced Precancerous Change in the Lung.

It remains unknown whether tobacco smoke induces DNA hypermethylation as an early event in carcinogenesis or as a late event, specific to overt cancer tissue. Using MethyLight assays, we analyzed 316 lung tissue samples from 151 cancer-free subjects (121 ever-smokers and 30 never-smokers) for hypermethylation of 19 genes previously observed to be hypermethylated in nonsmall cell lung cancers. Only APC (39%), CCND2 (21%), CDH1 (7%), and RARB (4%) were hypermethylated in >2% of these cancer-free subjects.

DNA methylation changes in normal liver tissues and hepatocellular carcinoma with different viral infection.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is known to be associated with both HBV and HCV. While epigenetic changes have been previously reported to be associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), whether the epigenetic profile of HBC associated HCC differs from that of HCV-associated HCC is unclear. We analyzed DNA methylation of ten genes (APC, CCND2, CDKN2A, GSTP1, HOXA9, RARB, RASSF1, RUNX, SFRP1, and TWIST1) using MethyLight assays on 65 archived liver tissue blocks.

DNA hypermethylation of tumors from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients is associated with gender and histologic type.

Background: We previously identified a number of genes which were methylated significantly more frequently in the tumor compared to the non-cancerous lung tissues from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Detection of methylation profiles of genes in NSCLC could provide insight into differential pathways to malignancy and lead to strategies for better treatment of individuals with NSCLC.

Methods: We determined the DNA methylation status of 27 genes using quantitative MethyLight assays in lung tumor samples from 117 clinically well-characterized NSCLC patients.

Thymidine kinase 1 and thymidine phosphorylase expression in non-small-cell lung carcinoma in relation to angiogenesis and proliferation.

The thymidine salvage pathway enzymes thymidine kinase 1 (TK1) and thymidine phosphorylase (TP) compete for thymidine as a substrate and catalyze opposing synthetic and catabolic reactions that have been implicated in the control of proliferation and angiogenesis, respectively. We investigated the relationship between the expression of TK1 and TP as they relate to proliferation (Ki-67 labeling index) and angiogenesis (Chalkley count of CD31-stained blood vessels) in a series of 110 non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumors from patients prospectively enrolled in an imaging trial. TK1 and TP exhibited similar patterns of immunohistochemical distribution, in that each was found in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm of tumor cells.

Lower levels of HIV-2 than HIV-1 in the female genital tract: correlates and longitudinal assessment of viral shedding.

Background: The differing magnitude of the HIV-1 and HIV-2 epidemics is likely a consequence of differing transmission rates between the two viruses. Similar to other sexually transmitted pathogens, risk of HIV-1 and HIV-2 transmission is likely associated with the presence and amount of HIV in the genital tract. Thus, understanding patterns of, and risk factors for HIV genital tract shedding is critical to effective control of HIV transmission.