HPV16 Oncogene Contributes to Cancer Immune Evasion by Regulating PD-L1 Expression through a miR-143/HIF-1a Pathway.

Human Papillomaviruses have been associated with the occurrence of cervical cancer, the fourth most common cancer that affects women globally, while 70% of cases are caused by infection with the high-risk types HPV16 and HPV18. The integration of these viruses' oncogenes and into the host's genome affects a multitude of cellular functions and alters the expression of molecules. The aim of this study was to investigate how these oncogenes contribute to the expression of immune system control molecules, using cell lines with integrated HPV16 genome, before and after knocking out viral gene using the CRISPR/Cas9 system, delivered with a lentiviral vector.

Photo-Fenton and TiO Photocatalytic Inactivation of Model Microorganisms under UV-A; Comparative Efficacy and Optimization.

Photocatalytic inactivation of pathogens in aqueous waste is gaining increasing attention. Several homogeneous and heterogeneous photocatalytic protocols exist using the Fenton's reagent and TiO, respectively. A comprehensive study of homogeneous and heterogeneous photocatalysis on a range of microorganisms will significantly establish the most efficient method.

Interaction between TCF7L2 rs7903146 Genotype, HbA1c Levels, and the Periodontal Status of Dental Patients.

Objective:  The aim of the study was to investigate the potential interaction between TCF7L2 rs7903146 genotype, which is implicated for type-2 diabetes mellitus genetic susceptibility, HbA1c levels, and the periodontal status of dental patients.

Materials And Methods: HbA1c levels, clinical periodontal parameters (probing depth, clinical attachment level, bleeding on probing, and plaque index), and several parameters (such as body mass index [BMI], smoking habits, education level, and age) were recorded in 150 patients who fulfilled the criteria for screening for prediabetes/diabetes of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. DNA was extracted and the TCF7L2 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs7903146 was genotyped in all participants.

Diversity, Cyanotoxin Production, and Bioactivities of Cyanobacteria Isolated from Freshwaters of Greece.

Cyanobacteria are a diverse group of photosynthetic Gram-negative bacteria that produce an array of secondary compounds with selective bioactivity against a broad spectrum of organisms and cell lines. In this study, 29 strains isolated from freshwaters in Greece were classified using a polyphasic approach and assigned to Chroococcales, Synechococcales, and Nostocales, representing 11 genera and 17 taxa. There were good agreements between 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA)--internal genetic spacer (IGS) characterization and morphological features, except for the - group which appears intermixed and needs further elucidation.

The role of Visfatin in atherosclerotic peripheral arterial obstructive disease.

Visfatin is an adipokine molecule acting as an essential coenzyme in multiple cellular redox reactions. The increased serum levels of Visfatin have been correlated with metabolic syndrome and endothelial homeostasis. In this study we investigate the possible relationship of Visfatin serum levels with the severity and location of atherosclerotic peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD).

Caprine PrP variants harboring Asp-146, His-154 and Gln-211 alleles display reduced convertibility upon interaction with pathogenic murine prion protein in scrapie infected cells.

Scrapie, the prion disease of sheep and goats, is a devastating malady of small ruminants. Due to its infectious nature, epidemic outbreaks may occur in flocks/herds consisting of highly susceptible animals. Field studies identified scrapie-protective caprine PrP variants, harboring specific single amino acid changes (Met-142, Arg-143, Asp-146, Ser-146, His-154, Gln-211 and Lys-222).

Prevalence of β-lactam (bla TEM) and Metronidazole (nim) Resistance Genes in the Oral Cavity of Greek Subjects.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of bla TEM and nim genes that encode resistance to β-lactams and nitroimidazoles, respectively, in the oral cavity of systemically healthy Greek subjects.

Materials And Methodology: After screening 720 potentially eligible subjects, 154 subjects were recruited for the study, including 50 periodontally healthy patients, 52 cases of gingivitis and 52 cases of chronic periodontitis. The clinical parameters were assessed with an automated probe.

Prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the oral cavity.

Objective: To assess the prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in plaque and tongue samples from systemically healthy subjects with periodontal health, gingivitis or chronic periodontitis.

Methods: After screening 720 potentially eligible subjects, 154 systemically healthy participants were ultimately enrolled in the current study. Subgingival samples were taken from the first molars and the tongue and analyzed for the presence of S.

Prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes in subjects with successful and failing dental implants. A pilot study.

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of the bacterial genes encoding resistance to beta-lactams, tetracyclines and metronidazole respectively, in subjects with successful and failing dental implants and to assess the presence of Staphylococcus aureus and the mecA gene encoding for Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the same samples.

Materials And Methodology: The subject sample included 20 participants with clinically healthy osseointegrated implants and 20 participants with implants exhibiting peri-implantitis. Clinical parameters were assessed with an automated probe, samples were collected from the peri-implant sulcus or pocket and analyzed with Polymerase Chain Reaction for bla TEM , tetM, tetQ and nim genes, S.

Superior long-term repopulating capacity of G-CSF+plerixafor-mobilized blood: implications for stem cell gene therapy by studies in the Hbb(th-3) mouse model.

High numbers of genetically modified hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) equipped with enhanced engrafting potential are required for successful stem cell gene therapy. By using thalassemia as a model, we investigated the functional properties of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) from Hbb(th3)/45.2(+) mice after mobilization with G-CSF, plerixafor, or G-CSF+plerixafor and the engraftment kinetics of primed cells after competitive primary and noncompetitive secondary transplantation.

Perspectives of a scrapie resistance breeding scheme targeting Q211, S146 and K222 caprine PRNP alleles in Greek goats.

The present study investigates the potential use of the scrapie-protective Q211 S146 and K222 caprine PRNP alleles as targets for selective breeding in Greek goats. Genotyping data from a high number of healthy goats with special emphasis on bucks, revealed high frequencies of these alleles, while the estimated probabilities of disease occurrence in animals carrying these alleles were low, suggesting that they can be used for selection. Greek goats represent one of the largest populations in Europe.

Proteomics for the discovery of biomarkers and diagnosis of periodontitis: a critical review.

Periodontitis is a common chronic and destructive disease whose pathogenetic mechanisms remain unclear. Due to their sensitivity and global scale, proteomics studies offer the opportunity to uncover critical host and pathogen activity indicators and can elucidate clinically applicable biomarkers for improved diagnosis and treatment of the disease. This review summarizes the literature of proteomics studies on periodontitis and comprehensively discusses commonly found candidate biomarkers.

Prevalence and distribution of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans serotypes and the JP2 clone in a Greek population.

Aim: to investigate the distribution of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans serotypes and the prevalence of the JP2 clone in subgingival samples of Greek subjects.

Materials And Methods: two hundred and twenty eight subjects participated in the present study. Each contributed with one pooled subgingival sample from the mesiobuccal surface of the four first molars.

Mobilization of hematopoietic stem cells in a thalassemic mouse model: implications for human gene therapy of thalassemia.

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)-mobilized blood stem cells may become the preferable source of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) for gene therapy because of the higher yield of cells compared with conventional bone marrow harvesting. A G-CSF-associated risk of splenic rupture has been recognized in normal donors of HSCs, but limited information is available about the G-CSF effect in the presence of splenomegaly and extramedullary hematopoiesis. We investigated the G-CSF effect in a thalassemic mouse model (HBB(th-3)) as compared with a normal strain (C57BL/6), in terms of safety, mobilization efficacy, and distribution of stem cells among hematopoietic compartments.

Prevalence of tetM, tetQ, nim and bla(TEM) genes in the oral cavities of Greek subjects: a pilot study.

Aim: To investigate the prevalence of tetM, tetQ, nim and bla(TEM) antimicrobial resistance genes in subgingival and tongue samples of Greek subjects.

Materials And Methods: Fifty-four subjects participated in the present study. Participants each contributed with one pooled subgingival sample from the mesiobuccal surface of the four first molars and one sample from the tongue.

Human ubiquitin specific protease 31 is a deubiquitinating enzyme implicated in activation of nuclear factor-kappaB.

TRAF2 mediates activation of the transcription factors NF-kappaB and AP1 by TNF. A yeast two-hybrid screen of a human cDNA library identified a ubiquitin specific protease homologue (USP31) as a TRAF2-interacting protein. Two cDNAs encoding for USP31 were identified.

Prevalence of IL-1A and IL-1B polymorphisms in a Greek population.

Objectives: Given the possible ethnic diversity in distribution of genetic variants, aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of the polymorphisms of IL-1A+4845 and IL-1B+3954 in a Greek population of unknown periodontal status and to compare this prevalence with one from a group of patients with chronic (adult) periodontitis.

Material And Methods: 110 healthy subjects of unknown periodontal status and 45 patients with chronic periodontitis were genotyped, using a PCR-based method and primers described in the literature. The differences in genotype, allele frequencies, allele carriage rate and presence of positive composite genotype as described by Kornman et al.

Identification and characterization of the gene products of open reading frame U86/87 of human herpesvirus 6.

The human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) immediate early-A locus (IE-A) locates in the position analogous to the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) major IE (MIE) locus that is well-known to play critical roles in viral infection. Similarly to HCMV MIE, HHV-6 IE-A consists of two genetic units, IE1 and IE2, corresponding to open reading frames U90-U89 and U90-U86/87, respectively. However, the HHV-6 IE-A locus exhibits limited sequence homology with the HCMV MIE locus.