¿Por qué no se vacunan nuestras pacientes?: motivos por los que las pacientes fuera de los programas de vacunación sistemática, con infección por el virus del Papiloma Humano, deciden decir no a la vacuna / Reasons for non-vaccination in women outside the routine immunization programs

Objetivo: Conocer los motivos de la no vacunación en mujeres fuera de los programas de vacunación sistemática. Metodología: Se evaluaron mediante cuestionario 226 mujeres con infección por VPH. A todas ellas se les había informado de su patología, del VPH y de la vacuna y se les había recomendado el uso del preservativo previamente. Resultados: El 66,7 por ciento tenían pareja estable; 75 por ciento utilizaban preservativo. La edad de inicio de relaciones sexuales fue 17,8 años y el 47,3 por ciento de las pacientes habían tenido 5 ó más parejas a lo largo de su vida. El 72 por ciento conocía su infección por VPH y el 48,8 por ciento su lesión. El 63,7 por ciento no se vacunó: principalmente rechazaron la vacuna por el precio (49,5 por ciento), información insuficiente (18,7 por ciento) u otras causas como la disparidad de opiniones entre los médicos que la atendieron (15 por ciento). Conclusiones: El coste de la vacuna y el conocimiento sobre el VPH son determinantes para la aceptación de la vacunación.

Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the reasons for non-vaccination in women outside the routine immunization programs. Method: There were evaluated by questionnaire 226 women with HPV infection. All of them had been informed of their disease and type of HPV infected by. We all had recommended the vaccine and the condom use previously. Results: 66.7 percent had a steady partner, 75 percent used condoms. The age of first sexual relationship was 17.8 years old and 47.3 percent of patients had 5 or more partners during their lifetime. 72 percent knew their HPV infection and 48.8 percent knew their injury. 63.7 percent were not vaccinated: they rejected the vaccine mainly for the price (49.5 percent), insufficient information (18.7 percent) or other causes such as primary care opposite point of view (15 percent). Conclusions: The prize of the vaccine and the HPV knowledge are crucial to the acceptance of vaccination.

An experimental study on the immune response induced by a dendritic cell-based vaccine carrying the herpes simplex virus type 2 glycoprotein D gene in mice / 中华皮肤科杂志

Objective To evaluate the specific immune response induced by a dendritic cell-based adenovirus-mediated vaccine carrying the herpes simplex virus type 2 glycoprotein D gene (pAdeno-HSV-2 gD-DC) in BALB/c mice.Methods Forty BALB/c mice were equally divided into four groups:blank control group receiving no treatment,pAdeno-DC group immunized with pAdeno-DC,pAdeno-HSV-2 gD-DC group immunized with the previously constructed vaccine pAdeno-HSV-2 gD-DC,DC group immunized with DCs only.Totally,three rounds of vaccination were conducted at a 7-day interval.Ten days after the last vaccination,serum samples were collected and spleen cells were isolated from these mice.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to measure the level of IgG antibody against HSV-2 gD in the serum samples.Some spleen cells were stimulated with HSV-2 gD protein (10 mg/L) for 72 hours; then,ELISA was carried out to determine the levels of interferon (IFN)-γand interleukin (IL)-4 in the supernatant,and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay to estimate the proliferative activity of these cells.The cytotoxicity of spleen cells was also evaluated based on the measurement of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release.Results The serum level of IgG antibody against HSV-2 gD (given in the absorbance value at 450 nm) was 0.313 ± 0.034 in the pAdeno-HSV-2 gD-DC group,significantly higher than that in the pAdeno-DC group,DC group and blank control group (0.034 ± 0.009,0.028 ± 0.009 and 0.026 ± 0.010 respectively,all P ＜ 0.05).Increased proliferative activity and cytotoxicity were observed in spleen cells from the pAdeno-HSV-2 gD-DC group compared with those from the pAdeno-DC group,DC group and blank control group (cell stimulation index:1.600 ± 0.215 vs.1.063 ± 0.070,1.056 ± 0.063 and 1.020 ± 0.051,all P ＜ 0.05; percentage of cytotoxicity:37.1％ vs.16.0％,14.9％ and 15.7％,all P ＜ 0.05).The levels of IFN-γ and IL-4 (both given in the absorbance value at 450 nm) were 0.568 ± 0.031 and 0.544-± 0.043 respectively in the supernatant of spleen cells from the pAdeno-HSV-2 gD-DC group,compared to 0.266 ± 0.021 and 0.278 ± 0.037 respectively in the pAdeno-DC group (bothP＜ 0.05),0.271 ± 0.023 and 0.275 ± 0.044 respectively in the DC group (bothP＜ 0.05),and 0.252 ± 0.012 and 0.245 ± 0.051 respectively in the blank control group (both P＜ 0.05).Conclusion The vaccine pAdenoHSV-2 gD-DC could induce a specific and strong immune response in BALB/c mice.

Microneedle patches for vaccine delivery

In today's medical industry, the range of vaccines that exist for administration in humans represents an eclectic variety of forms and immunologic mechanisms. Namely, these are the live attenuated viruses, inactivated viruses, subunit proteins, and virus-like particles for treating virus-caused diseases, as well as the bacterial-based polysaccharide, protein, and conjugated vaccines. Currently, a new approach to vaccination is being investigated with the concept of DNA vaccines. As an alternative delivery route to enhance the vaccination efficacy, microneedles have been devised to target the rich network of immunologic antigen-presenting cells in the dermis and epidermis layers under the skin. Numerous studies have outlined the parameters of microneedle delivery of a wide range of vaccines, revealing comparable or higher immunogenicity to conventional intramuscular routes, overall level of stability, and dose-sparing advantages. Furthermore, recent mechanism studies have begun to successfully elucidate the biological mechanisms behind microneedle vaccination. This paper describes the current status of microneedle vaccine research.

Disposición a pagar por vacunas contra el virus papiloma humano en la Región Metropolitana de Santiago de Chile / Willingness to pay for human papillomavirus vaccine in Metropolitan Santiago, Chile

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a risk factor for cervical cancer and can be prevented with the HPV vaccine. Aim: To explore the willingness of parents to pay for HPV vaccine for their offspring. Material and Methods: A survey about the willingness to pay for HPV vaccine was answered by 386 individuals of the highest socioeconomic level who had a daughter aged between 12 and 18 years. The survey included information about the risks of HPV infection. Results: Parents would pay a mean of US$ 758 for the vaccine. Twenty five percent of parents were not willing to pay for it. If the cost of the vaccine would be reduced by 50%, only 4% of parents would not pay for it. The willingness to pay is associated with the price of the vaccine, the income level of respondents and the size of the family. Conclusions: Most respondents would pay for HPV vaccine for their daughters, despite the relatively high cost.

Clinical Nurses' HPV-related Knowledge and Perception of Cancer Causes: HPV Vaccinated vs. Not Vaccinated / 여성건강간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare knowledge level of those clinical nurses who received HPV vaccine and those who did not and their perception of the relatedness of HPV vaccine to causes of cervical cancer. METHODS: A total of 249 clinical nurses were surveyed from June to July, 2009. The questionnaire originally developed by Kim & Ahn (2007) examined HPV-related knowledge originally and the tool for perception of the causes of cervical cancer was originally developed by Kim (1993). The total number of subjects equaled to: vaccination group of 52 (20.9%) and non-vaccination group of 197 (79.1%). RESULTS: Vaccination group showed significantly higher score of both knowledge of HPV vaccination and the perception of the cause of cervical cancer in comparison to the nonvaccination group at (p<.05). Among 4 subscales of the perception of causes of cervical cancer, destiny and constitution subscale scores were significantly different between the two groups at (p<.05). CONCLUSION: Clinical nurses need to constantly update with current knowledge of HPV and be prepared with currently changing cancer prevention strategies, especially in cervical cancer.

Modulation of protective immunity against herpes simplex virus via mucosal genetic co-transfer of DNA vaccine with beta2-adrenergic agonist

Cholera toxin, which has been frequently used as mucosal adjuvant, leads to an irreversible activation of adenylyl cyclase, thereby accumulating cAMP in target cells. Here, it was assumed that beta2-adrenergic agonist salbutamol may have modulatory functions of immunity induced by DNA vaccine, since beta2-adrenergic agonists induce a temporary cAMP accumulation. To test this assumption, the present study evaluated the modulatory functions of salbutamol co-administered with DNA vaccine expressing gB of herpes simplex virus (HSV) via intranasal (i.n.) route. We found that the i.n. co-administration of salbutamol enhanced gB-specific IgG and IgA responses in both systemic and mucosal tissues, but optimal dosages of co-administered salbutamol were required to induce maximal immune responses. Moreover, the mucosal co-delivery of salbutamol with HSV DNA vaccine induced Th2-biased immunity against HSV antigen, as evidenced by IgG isotypes and Th1/Th2-type cytokine production. The enhanced immune responses caused by co-administration of salbutamol provided effective and rapid responses to HSV mucosal challenge, thereby conferring prolonged survival and reduced inflammation against viral infection. Therefore, these results suggest that salbutamol may be an attractive adjuvant for mucosal genetic transfer of DNA vaccine.

Locally produced mucosal IgG in chickens immunized with conventional vaccines for Newcastle disease virus

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is the causative agent of an economically important disease, which affects all species of birds worldwide. Current vaccination programs for NDV include the use of either low-virulent live-virus vaccines or inactivated vaccines to induce protective immunity while producing minimal adverse effects in birds. In order to further characterize the immune response elicited by live virus and inactivated NDV conventional vaccines in chickens, we evaluated the presence of specific antibodies in different secretions and in tissue culture supernatants of immunized birds. To this end, we analyzed all the samples by ELISA, using an indirect assay set up in the laboratory. Specific anti-NDV IgG antibodies were detected in tracheal and cloacal swabs and tracheal and intestinal washes of immunized animals. We also found specific anti-NDV IgG antibodies in tracheal and intestinal tissue culture supernatants, indicating that the IgG found in swabs and washes was not transudated from serum or, at least, was not all transudated from serum. Knowledge about the mechanisms involved in the immune response of chickens to different NDV vaccines should increase our understanding of the mucosal response against the virus and, eventually, provide new useful information for the development and evaluation of synthetic vaccines.