Evaluation of the cervicovaginal environment in asymptomatic Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 infected women

ABSTRACT Introduction: Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is sexually transmitted and causes persistent infection. This virus induces activation of the immune system and production of inflammatory cytokines. This study aimed to assess the cytokine profile and cytopathological findings in the cervicovaginal fluid of asymptomatic HTLV-1-infected women. Methods: HTLV-1-infected and uninfected women were selected at the Centro de Atendimento ao Portador de HTLV in Salvador-Brazil. None of the included HTLV-1-infected women reported any HTLV-1-associated diseases. All volunteers underwent gynecological examination to collect cervicovaginal fluid. Cytokine quantification was performed using the Cytometric Bead Array (CBA) Human Th1/Th2/Th17 kit. Light microscopy was used to evaluate cervicovaginal cytopathology. In addition, proviral load in cervicovaginal fluid and peripheral blood was measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results: 112 women (63 HTLV-1-infected and 49 uninfected) were evaluated. No differences were found with respect to cytopathological cervicovaginal findings between the groups. IL-2, TNF, IL-4, IL-10, and IL-17 levels were significantly higher in cervicovaginal fluid of the HTLV-1-infected women than in uninfected women (p < 0.05). Conversely, IFN-γ was found to be lower in the HTLV-1-infected women (p < 0.001) compared to uninfected individuals. Cervicovaginal proviral load was detectable in 53% of the HTLV-1-infected women and was found to be consistently lower than the proviral load in peripheral blood. Conclusions: HTLV-1 infection induces immune activation in cervicovaginal environment, characterized by elevated concentrations of Th1, Th2, and IL17 in the cervicovaginal fluid.

Immunohistochemistry of the uterine cervix of rats bearing the Walker 256 tumor treated with copaiba balsam

PURPOSE: To investigate the immunohistochemistry of the uterine cervix of 20 Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus) bearing the Walker 256 tumor, treated with copaiba oil (Copaifera officinalis). METHODS: The animals were grouped into four subgroups, with five rats each: the GCT and GCopT received distilled water and topically copaiba, respectively, while the GCG and GCopG received distilled water and copaiba by gavage, respectively. The substances were administered for nine days. On the 12th day, after euthanasia, the tumor pieces were sent to the identification of T CD4+, T CD8+ and Natural Killer cells. RESULTS: It was found that the pattern of expression for specific markers of phenotypes of cells involved in tumor immune response was similar in all groups, regardless the administration way of copaiba oil (topical or gavage). CONCLUSION: Copaiba balsam, administered either topically or by gavage, did not alter the pattern of tumor immune response in rats bearing Walker 256 Tumor.

Avance de lesiones de cérvix de bajo y alto grado en pacientes gestantes con diagnóstico de virus de inmunodeficiencia humana/síndrome de inmunodeficiencia adquirida, que asistieron a la clínica de enfermedades infecciosas del departamento de medicina interna del Hospital Roosevelt durante el período de enero 2005 a diciembre de 2009 / Advance cervical lesions of low and high grade in pregnant patients diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus / acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, who attended the clinic infectious diseases, department of internal medicine, Roosevelt Hospital during the period from january 2005 to december 2009

Se realizó una ivestigación de tipo descriptivo-retrospectivo sobre el avance de lesiones de cérvix de bajo y alto grado en pacientes gestantes con diagnóstico de Virus de Inmunodeficiencia Humana (VIH) / Síndrome de Inmunodeficiencia Adquirida (SIDA) que asistieron a la Clínica de Enfermedades Infecciosas del Departamento de Medicina Interna del Hospital Roosevelt, siendo el principal objetivo determinar la prevalencia de avance de lesiones de cérvix de bajo y alto grado en pacientes gestantes...

Ki-67 immunostaining in Pap smears of cervix: assessment of proliferation in preinvasive and invasive squamous epithelial lesions.

Ki-67 is a novel proliferation marker. Its use has been extensively studied in biopsy sections of preinvasive and invasive squamous epithelial lesions of cervix. However, only limited work has been done on its application on Pap smears of cervix. We applied Ki-67 immunostaining on cytology smears of various grades of squamous epithelial lesions of cervix. Sixty cases were chosen for immunostaining by Peroxidase antiperoxidase method using DAB as a chromogen. High level of Ki-67 labelled proliferation was measured in squamous cell carcinomas of cervix. Statistically significant difference was observed between preinvasive and invasive squamous epithelial lesions of cervix. Ki-67 could prove as a useful adjunctive test to routine Pap smear in triage of patients harboring lesions of cervix.

Alteraciones en la citología cervical y respuesta inmune contra Chlamydia trachomatis en trabajadoras sexuales

Resumen. Existen controversias en cuanto a la asociación entre infección por Chlamydia trachomatis (C. trachomatis) y el desarrollo de neoplasia cervical. El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar la relación entre la presencia de anticuerpos contra la C. trachomatis de tipo IgG en suero e IgA en moco cervical y la prevalencia de modificaciones en citología cervical. Se evaluaron 166 mujeres trabajadoras sexuales, controladas en el servicio de Infecciones de Transmisión Sexual de la Unidad Sanitaria de los Teques, Estado Miranda, Venezuela. Fueron entrevistadas y evaluadas para cervicitis y se tomó muestras de moco cervical y sangre para la determinación de anticuerpos contra C. trachomatis de tipo IgA e IgG (ELISA). Se tomaron muestras cervicales y se estudiaron por coloración de Pap. Los resultados fueron evaluados estadísticamente (Chi cuadrado, Keldal Tau). La prevalencia de IgA contra C. trachomatis en moco cervical fue de 45,2% y la de IgG en suero sanguíneo fue de 69,3%. El 38,0% de las citologías cervicales fue reportada normal o con cambios inflamatorios leves, el 35,5% inflamación moderada, el 25,3% inflamación severa y un 1,2% presentó lesiones intraepiteliales escamosas de bajo grado (LIEBG). No se encontró correlación estadísticamente significativa entre la presencia de anticuerpos contra C. trachomatis (IgA e IgG) y la de cervicitis, ni con los resultados de la citología. En conclusión, no se observó asociación entre respuesta inmune contra C. trachomatis y resultados de la citología cervical ni la presencia de cervicitis. Sin embargo, la existencia de otras infecciones simultáneas pudiera haber interferido en la observación de una posible asociación entre estas variables.

Abstract. There are controversies about the relationship between Chlamydia trachomatis (C. trachomatis) infections and development of cervical carcinoma. The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the relation between the presence of IgG against C. trachomatis in serum and IgA in cervical mucus with the prevalence of abnormalities in the Papanicolaou smears. One hundred sixty-six sexual workers were evaluated. They were checked up for sexual transmitted diseases (STD) at the "Unidad Sanitaria de Los Teques, Edo. Miranda". Sexual workers were interviewed and had a gynecological evaluation. Cervical mucus and peripheral blood samples were obtained to determine antibodies IgA and IgG against C. trachomatis. Cervical samples were taken to be evaluated by Papanicolaou staining. The association among the different variables was statistically evaluated (Chi squared and Kendal Tau). The prevalence of antibodies isotype IgA against C. trachomatis in cervical mucus was 45.2% and IgG in serum was 69.3%. Papanicolaou smear showed that 38% of women had normal or low inflammation grade, 35.5% moderate inflammation, 25.3% severe inflammation and 1.2% presented Low Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion (LGSIL). There was no statistical correlation among presence of antibodies against C. trachomatis, presence of cervicitis and Papanicoloau smears. In conclusion we could not observe any relationships between immune response against C. trachomatis, cervicitis and Papanicolaou smears abnormalities. However, it is important to consider that other infections, that could be present simultaneously, could interfere in the interpretation of the results.

Immunological assessment of infertility by estimation of antisperm antibodies in infertile couples.

160 clinical samples were collected from 40 infertile couples with unexplained infertility. The samples collected included serum and seminal plasma of the male partners and serum and cervical mucus samples of the female partners. 25 fertile healthy couples were investigated as controls. All the samples collected were then tested for class-specific antisperm antibodies by an Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Antisperm antibodies were detected in 30% of the infertile couples which included 25% female and 10% male partners. Amongst the cases positive for antisperm antibodies, antibodies were detected most frequently in female sera 58.4% followed by male sera 33% and 25% in cervical mucus. The isotyping of antisperm antibodies in various samples showed IgG to be the most frequent type specific antibody followed by IgM & IgA types of antibodies. ELISA has provided a relatively simple, reliable and highly reproducible method of detection of antisperm antibodies. Thus application of antisperm antibody testing especially in cervical mucus should become an integral part of the investigation of immunologic infertility.

A, B & H isoantigens in cervical lesions.

Expression of A, B and H isoantigens in cervical mucosa was demonstrated by specific red cell adherence test in 92 cervical lesions (40 chronic cervicitis, 12 dysplasia and 40 carcinoma cervix). Eighty percent cases of chronic cervicitis showed a moderate reaction. On the contrary, in carcinoma cervix, 75% cases were found to be SRCA negative. In dysplasia, the intensity of red blood cell adherence was found to be directly related to the degree of cellular differentiation. Study of A, B and H isoantigens might help in deciding the prognosis of dysplasia and/or early detection of malignancy.

Localization of carcinoembryonic antigen in uterine cervical neoplasia.

Tissues for 74 uterine cervical lesions including 64 invasive squamous cell carcinomas, 4 adenocarcinomas and 6 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) were studied by peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) method for presence of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). CEA was absent in normal squamous and endocervical epithelium. The antigen was demonstrated in all the cases of CIN (100%) and in 48 invasive carcinomas (70.6%). A heterogeneous pattern of staining was noted in different cases and also within a tumour. None of the 6 endometrial carcinomas showed CEA reactivity while all sections from endocervical carcinomas were positive for CEA. Carcinoembryonic antigen may be a useful tumour marker in the diagnosis of cervical neoplasia and helpful in differentiating endocervical carcinoma from endometrial carcinoma.