Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterization of human papillomavirus infection in north Taiwan

The detection of human papillomavirus (HPV) is very important for the evaluation of preventative strategies for cervical cancer. The major objective of this study was to characterize the prevalence of different genotypes of HPV in north Taiwan to contribute to the epidemiological knowledge of HPV infections. Papanicolaou (Pap) cervical smears were collected from 10,543 women aged between 14 and 87 years. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA array hybridization techniques were used to genotype 51 different HPV strains. HPV was detected in 1,577 women, which gave an overall HPV prevalence rate of 15%. Forty‐eight different genotypes were found in these patients, which included 9.7% that were high‐risk HPV (HR‐HPV) genotypes. The most common types of HR‐HPV in patients, in descending order of frequency, were HPV 52, 16, 58, 56, 39, 51, 18, 68, 31, 33, 59, 45, and 35. HPV 52 was the most frequent type in every age group. The four most common HR‐HPV types were found in 56.6% of the patients infected with HR‐HPV. In cases that were infected with multiple HPV genotypes, 69.2% had at least one HR‐HPV genotype. The rate of infection with HR‐HPV was higher in the younger age groups than the older ones. In conclusion, 48 HPV genotypes were identified from a large study of cervical screening samples and the prevalence of HPV genotypes in different age groups was very diverse. The formulation of a public health strategy for HPV vaccination should take into account the prevalence of various HR‐HPV/LR‐HPV genotypes. J. Med. Virol. 82:1416–1423, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
An MRI‐based index to measure the severity of Alzheimer's disease‐like structural pattern in subjects with mild cognitive impairment

Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is sensitive to neurodegeneration and can be used to estimate the risk of converting to Alzheimer's disease (AD) in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Brain changes in AD and prodromal AD involve a pattern of widespread atrophy. The use of multivariate analysis algorithms could enable the development of diagnostic tools based on structural MRI data. In this study, we investigated the possibility of combining multiple MRI features in the form of a severity index.
Telomeres and human health

Telomeres are the tips of chromosomes and consist of proteins and hexanucleotide tandem repeats of DNA. The DNA repeats are shortened at each mitotic division of normal cells, and the telomere length chronicles how many divisions the cell has undergone. Thus, telomere length is a marker of fundamental biological pathways. It has been possible to measure telomere length for more than 20 years, and it has been established that telomere length is associated with age, sex and lifestyle factors. Here, the current knowledge of telomere length as a biomarker of disease susceptibility and mortality will be reviewed. In addition, technical difficulties and the reasons why measurement of telomeres has still not been introduced into routine clinical practice will be discussed. Findings from recent studies conducted in many thousands of individuals indicate that telomere length is not–or at best only marginally–independently associated with risk of common disorders such as cardiovascular, pulmonary and neoplastic diseases. However, in sufficiently powered studies, short telomeres are repeatedly and independently found to be associated with increased risk of early death in the general population or in subsets of individuals. This indicates that measurement of telomeres could be a valuable prognostic biomarker in many clinical settings. However, whether short telomeres are a causal factor for or simply a marker of increased risk of early death must be determined. Finally, how Mendelian randomization studies could clarify this issue, and which clinical studies might be carried out to refine this very promising biomarker for routine clinical use will be considered.
The effect of adding dexamethasone to bupivacaine on the duration of postoperative analgesia after caudal anesthesia in children

Background Different additives have been reported to prolong the duration of caudal anesthesia in pediatrics. Although these drugs successfully increased the duration of the block, many of them were associated with undesirable adverse effects. Dexamethasone has been found to effectively increase the duration of an epidural block in adults, with no resulting side effects. Objective The aim of this study was to assess the effect of adding dexamethasone to bupivacaine on the duration of a caudal block in pediatric patients. Patients and methods This was a prospective randomized-controlled study that included 80 children, aged 1-6 years, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I, undergoing elective unilateral inguinal herniotomy. Patients were randomized to receive 1 ml/kg bupivacaine 0.25% (group B) or a mixture of dexamethasone 0.2 mg/kg added to 1 ml/kg bupivacaine 0.25% (group BD). In the postoperative period, pain was assessed using a modified Objective Pain Scale (mOPS) score until 24 h after surgery and rescue analgesia (oral paracetamol 15 mg/kg) was administered when mOPS score 4 or more was recorded. The primary outcome measure was the time to first analgesic requirement. The number of analgesic doses required in the first 24 h after surgery, residual motor block, sedation scores, intraoperative and postoperative hemodynamic variables, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), and other adverse effects were recorded. Results Group BD showed a significantly longer time to first analgesic requirement than group B. The number of oral paracetamol doses required in the first 24 h was significantly less in group BD. Group BD showed lower mOPS scores than group B. Modified Bromage scale scores, sedation scores, as well as intraoperative and postoperative hemodynamic variables were comparable in the two groups. Group BD showed significantly fewer incidences of PONV compared with group B. Conclusion Adding dexamethasone to bupivacaine prolongs the duration of postoperative analgesia and decreases the incidence of PONV after a caudal block in pediatric patients.
Factors Affecting International Utilization of Peritoneal Dialysis: Implications for Increasing Utilization in the United States

There is a large variation, both within and between countries, in the proportion of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients being maintained on peritoneal dialysis (PD), as distinct from hemodialysis (HD) (Fig. 1) (1, 2). Over the past 15 years a variety of studies have compared outcomes on the two modalities and, in general, have found no significant difference in patient survival (3). There have been some recent analyses from the US suggesting that HD is superior (4) and from Canada suggesting that PD is superior (5), but subsequent studies using alternative methodologies did not confirm these findings (6–8). In a large majority of ESRD patients commencing renal replacement therapy, there are no absolute medical contraindications to either PD or HD (9). Thus, in most cases, modality selection is determined by nonmedical factors, and these will be the focus of this review. In general, the nonmedical factors can be divided into three categories. These are (a) physician factors (b) provider factors, and (c) patient factors (Table 1).
Incidence of Infectious Complications in Highly Sensitized Renal Transplant Recipients Treated by Rituximab: A Case-Controlled Study

Background. Use of rituximab for various indications in renal transplantation is increasing. However, tolerance and complications associated with rituximab therapy remain controversial. Methods. We retrospectively analyzed severe infectious episodes during 2005 to 2007 in 38 renal transplant recipients treated with rituximab as induction therapy or for antibody-mediated rejection and compared this population with 26 highly sensitized renal transplant recipients who received comparable treatment but without rituximab. Results. Mean posttransplant follow-up was 25.5±11.5 and 34.6±16.4 months in the rituximab and control groups, respectively (P=0.01). A total of 84 severe infectious episodes occurred in 39 patients (rituximab 55.3% vs. controls 69.2% [NS]). Most frequent were bacterial infections (47.4% vs. 57.7%), followed by viral and fungal infections (10.6% vs. 15.4% and 7.9% vs. 7.7%, respectively), with no statistical difference between groups. Two patients died in each group. Three of these four deaths were related to infectious complications. Biologic parameters were similar in both groups. Serum creatinine levels were higher at months 3 and 12 in patients with severe infections, but we found no other difference between patients with or without infections. Specifically, rituximab was not associated with an increased risk of infection. Conclusions. In highly sensitized patients, rituximab therapy is not associated with an increased risk of severe infection.
Can Speech-Guided Breathing Influence Cardiovascular Regulation and Mood Perception in Hypertensive Patients?

Abstract Objectives: Anthroposophic therapeutic speech (ATS) has been shown to positively influence heart rate variability (HRV) and cardiorespiratory coordination in healthy volunteers. This prospective, exploratory, pre–post study was performed to investigate ATS effects on baroreflex sensitivity (BRS), heart rate (HR), HRV by standard deviation of beat to beat intervals (SDNN), blood pressure (BP), and mood in hypertensive patients. Design: Patients received three ATS treatments, alternating with three sham interventions (control). During the sessions, BP and electrocardiography were continuously recorded. BRS and SDNN were analyzed from those measurements. Changes in mood score were assessed by a questionnaire. All data were compared before and after intervention (ATS and control). Results: Thirty-one patients participated, the majority diagnosed with arterial hypertension (22 out of 31). Pre–post analysis of the data revealed immediate and significant changes in hypertensive patients during control a.
KSHV DNA viremia correlates with low CD4+ cell count in Italian Males at the time of diagnosis of HIV infection

To evaluate the relevance and the virological and immunological markers of Kaposi sarcoma herpesvirus 8 (KSHV) viremia in Italian male patients at the time of diagnosis of infection with HIV‐1, 481 men infected with HIV were recruited consecutively. The presence of KSHV DNA was evaluated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and in plasma and correlated with demographic and viro‐immunological parameters. Seventy‐four patients had KSHV DNA detected in PBMCs. By univariate analysis, the presence of KSHV DNA was associated significantly with unprotected homosexual relationships (P = 0.003) and it was significantly higher in patients with CD4+ cell <350 (P = 0.025). By multivariate analysis, homosexual relationships were associated independently with KSHV DNA in PBMCs (OR: 3.25; 95% CI: 1.1–9.7; P = 0.035). Among the 74 patients with KSHV DNA detected in PBMCs, plasma samples from 60 were analyzed and 33 were positive for KSHV DNA. The CD4+ cell counts and percentages were significantly lower in patients with KSHV DNA in both PBMCs and plasma as compared to patients with only KSHV DNA in PBMCs (P = 0.006 and P = 0.019, respectively). Among the patients with KSHV DNA detected in PBMCs, all 13 patients with CD4+ cells count <200 had detectable levels of KSHV in their plasma. By multivariate analysis adjusted for the epidemiologic and virological parameters, low CD4+ cell count was the only independent variable associated with the presence of KSHV DNA in plasma (OR, 0.001; 95% CI: <0.001–0.001; P = 0.03). In HIV‐positive antiretroviral therapy‐naïve males, KSHV active replication as detected by KSHV DNA in plasma was associated significantly with low CD4+ cell count. J. Med. Virol. 83:384–390, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Epidemiological and phylogenic study of human metapneumovirus infections during three consecutive outbreaks in Normandy, France†

Abstract Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is responsible for respiratory tract disease, particularly in the young and elderly population. An epidemiological and phylogenic study was performed on children admitted to hospital with an acute lower respiratory tract infection (LRI). Data were obtained and analyzed over three consecutive winters, from 2002–2003 to 2004–2005. Each year during the winter period, from November to March, 2,415 nasal swabs were tested by a direct immunofluorescence assay (DFA) for influenza viruses A and B, respiratory syncytial virus, parainfluenza viruses, and adenoviruses. Rhinoviruses, enteroviruses, and coronaviruses OC43 and 229E were detected by RT‐PCR. A RT‐PCR designed for the M gene was performed on negative samples for hMPV detection and phylogenic analyses. For the three consecutive winters, hMPV represented 10%, 22.6%, and 8.8% of virus‐negative samples, respectively. In most cases, clinical symptoms indicated a LRI with a final diagnosis of bronchiolitis. During the winter of 2003–2004, all viral clusters (A1, A2, B1, and B2) that circulated in France shifted progressively from the A group to the B group. This study determined the prevalence of hMPV in Normandy, its clinical impact and permitted the analysis of the molecular evolution during the successive outbreaks. J. Med. Virol. 83:517–524, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Mechanism Analysis of Long-Term Graft Survival by Monocarboxylate Transporter-1 Inhibition

Background. Monocarboxylate transporter (MCT)-1, a member of a family of molecules, transports monocarboxylates such as lactate. Inhibiting MCT-1 leads to long-term graft survival in rodent heart transplantation and induces tolerance. We evaluated an MCT-1 inhibitor, AS2495674, in a rat heart transplant model and analyzed its underlying mechanism. Methods. AS2495674 was tested on rat lymphocytes to determine its effect on lactate accumulation, proliferation, and immunoglobulin production. The effect of AS2495674 on graft survival was tested on the Brown Norway to Lewis rat strain combination with a second heart transplantation to test donor-specific suppression. Histology and ex vivo analyses were done to examine the AS2495674 effects on the immune response. Results. In vitro, AS2495674 resulted in lactate accumulation, inhibited lymphocyte proliferation, and prevented immunoglobulin production. AS2495674 induced long-term allograft survival with little evidence of chronic rejection and induced donor-specific suppression. Evaluation of the allograft and peripheral T lymphocytes from the AS2495674 group compared with that of vehicle showed (1) decreased donor-specific T lymphocyte response, (2) more forkhead box P3+ (Foxp3+) and CD45RA+ cells in the allograft, (3) higher gene expression of chemokines and chemokine receptors in the allograft, and (4) preferential inhibition of Foxp3− cells with little or no effect on Foxp3+ cells. Conclusions. AS2495674 prevents acute rejection, reduces features of chronic rejection, and induces tolerance. Our data suggest that the mechanism of AS2495674 involves generating a tolerogenic graft environment by preferentially targeting T effector cells while sparing the generation of T regulatory cells.
The additive and/or synergistic effects of combined sympathomimetic and methylxanthine therapy

SummarySynergism between sympathomimetics and methylxanthines has been demonstrated in vitro. A series of 4 studies was carried out to investigate the synergistic effects of the two classes of drugs in vivo. The effects over α 2-hour period of inhaled isoprenaline and intravenous aminophylline were studied in 38 asthmatic patients. The results showed that when both drugs were given together there was a definite additive effect on the maximum expiratory flow and on the maximum mid-expiratory flow with a strong suggestion of synergism on the latter. Combining choline theophyllinate andsalmefamol, both given orally, resulted in an additive effect on peak expiratory flow rate in another group of 54 asthmatic patients but a synergistic effect on tremor of the hands. A further study in 14 patients receiving oral theophylline and inhaled salbutamol failed to demonstrate any additive effect when the two drugs were given together, and the results, so far, of an on-going study inpatients recovering from status asth.
The collagen cross‐linking enzyme lysyl oxidase is associated with the healing of human atherosclerotic lesions

Acute clinical complications of atherosclerosis such as myocardial infarction (MI) and ischaemic stroke are usually caused by thrombus formation on the ruptured plaque surface. Collagen, the main structural protein of the fibrous cap, provides mechanical strength to the atherosclerotic plaque. The integrity of the fibrous cap depends on collagen fibre cross‐linking, a process controlled by the enzyme lysyl oxidase (LOX).
T1846 and A/G1913 are associated with acute on chronic liver failure in patients infected with hepatitis B virus genotypes B and C

The aim of this study was to determine whether mutations in the hepatitis B virus (HBV) genome are associated with the onset of acute on chronic liver failure (ACLF). For the longitudinal study, full‐length HBV genomes were cloned and sequenced from four ACLF patients and compared with sequences from matching samples collected before ACLF. For the cross‐sectional study, 166 serum samples were obtained, including 49 samples from patients with ACLF. The results of longitudinal study showed that C53T, A1846T, and G1896A were the most common mutations in association with ACLF. In the cross‐sectional study 61.2% patients with ACLF presented with T1846, which was higher than patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) (11.1%), liver cirrhosis (LC) (31.1%), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (33.3%). Prevalence of A/G1913 was 42.9% in patients with ACLF, also higher than patients with CHB (2.2%), LC (17.8%), and HCC (11.1%). There were no differences in HBV genotype and patients' HBeAg status among patients with ACLF, LC, and HCC. However, prevalence of T1846 was much higher in patients infected with genotype B (57.1%) than genotype C (30.4%). A/G1913 was higher in HBeAg negative patients (28%) than HBeAg positive patients (13.2%). Results of a multivariable analysis showed that T1846 and A/G1913 were independent factors for ACLF (OR = 3.373 and 4.244, respectively). Interestingly, T1846 destroys an ATG codon of a small open reading frame in the preC region, which may increase core protein expression. We conclude that T1846 and A/G1913 in the preC/C gene are closely associated with ACLF. J. Med. Virol. 83:996–1004, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Molecular characterization of hepatitis C virus genotype 4 sequences in HIV‐coinfected patients from Argentina

The prevalence of hepatitis C virus genotype 4 (HCV‐4) is increasing in different parts of the World but in Latin America the data are still scarce. We aimed to characterize HCV‐4 isolates from 383 HIV‐coinfected patients in Argentina. Sequence analyses were based on the non‐structural 5B region of HCV. Results from 18 patients indicated a genetic heterogeneity that involved three genotype 4 subtypes. Sequences were ascribed to subtype 4d (67%), 4a (22%), and 4m (11%). In spite of different sources of transmission were defined among patients, no statistical association was found with the genotype 4 subtype. The scenario is also compatible with multiple importation of the epidemic and there is no evidence for transmission‐specific clusters or network‐like transmission of HCV‐4. This HCV‐4 does not represent a recent introduction in Argentina, it circulates in all transmission groups and its presence is increasing among HIV‐infected patients. J. Med. Virol. 83:935–940, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Distribution of human papillomavirus genotypes in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and invasive cervical cancer in Canada

Infection with high‐risk human papillomavirus (HPV) causes cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and invasive cervical cancer (ICC). The distribution of HPV types in cervical diseases has been previously described in small studies for Canadian women. The prevalence of 36 HPV genotypes in 873 women with CIN and 252 women with ICC was assessed on cervical exfoliated cells analyzed with the Linear Array (Roche Molecular System). HPV16 was the most common genotype in CIN and ICC. The seven most frequent genotypes in order of decreasing frequency were HPV16, 51, 52, 31, 39, 18, and 56 in women with CIN1, HPV16, 52, 31, 18, 51, 39, and 33 in women with CIN2, HPV16, 31, 18, 52, 39, 33, and 58 in women with CIN3, and HPV16, 18, 45, 33, 31, 39, and 53 in women with ICC. HPV18 was detected more frequently in adenocarcinoma than squamous cell carcinoma (P = 0.013). Adjustment for multiple type infections resulted in a lower percentage attribution in CIN of HPV types other than 16 or 18. The proportion of samples containing at least one oncogenic type was greater in CIN2 (98.4%) or CIN3 (100%) than in CIN1 (80.1%; P < 0.001 for each comparison). Multiple type infections were demonstrated in 51 (20.2%) of 252 ICC in contrast to 146 (61.3%) of 238 women with CIN3 (P < 0.001). Adjusting for multiple HPV types, HPV16 accounted for 52.1% and HPV18 for 18.1% of ICCs, for a total of 70.2%. Current HPV vaccines should protect against HPV types responsible for 70% of ICCs in Canadian women. J. Med. Virol. 83:1034–1041, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Decreased expression of surfactant protein D mRNA in human lungs in fatal cases of H5N1 avian influenza

Microarray analysis of gene expression profile of lungs from two fatal H5N1 influenza cases identified 3,435 genes with higher than twofold changes in mRNA levels as compared to those of normal lung. One thousand nineteen genes and 2,416 genes were up‐regulated and down‐regulated commonly, respectively. Gene ontology analysis identified several ontology terms with significant association with these genes, most of which are related to cellular metabolism and regulation of cellular process including apoptosis and chemotaxis. Pulmonary surfactant protein D (SP‐D) was found to be down‐regulated. Quantitative RT‐PCR confirmed the levels of SP‐D mRNA in the lungs infected with H5N1 to be lower than those of normal lungs and lungs from patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. SP‐D plays multiple roles in respiratory innate defense against various pathogens, regulation of inflammatory responses, and maintenance of alveolar integrity. Reduction of SP‐D in H5N1 influenza may play important roles in the pathogenesis of the disease. J. Med. Virol. 83:1410–1417, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Analyses of human papillomavirus genotypes and viral loads in anogenital warts

Condylomata acuminata (genital warts) are the most common sexually transmitted viral diseases. These lesions are caused by infection with mucosal human papillomaviruses (HPVs). However, there is limited information on HPV strain distribution involved in the molecular pathogenesis of these lesions. To address this, the strain prevalence and the frequency of multiple HPV infections were determined in wart tissue obtained from 31 patients attending a wart clinic. These lesions were bisected and subjected to parallel DNA and mRNA extractions. HPV‐type prevalence and incidence of multiple infections were determined by the Roche Linear Array assay. qPCR compared HPV 6, 11, 16, and 18 viral loads and RT‐qPCR measured HPV 6 and 11 E6 genomic expression levels. Seventy‐one percent of these samples were infected with multiple HPVs. Only one sample was negative for HPV 6 or 11 DNA. Forty‐eight percent of samples were positive for a high risk (oncogenic) HPV. The results show that multiple infections in tissue are frequent and the subsequent analysis of HPV 6 and 11 E6 DNA viral loads suggested that other HPVs could be causing lesions. Further analysis of HPV 6/11 E6 mRNA levels showed that there was no discernable relationship between HPV 6 E6 DNA viral load and relative HPV 6 or 11 E6 mRNA levels thereby questioning the relevance of viral load to lesion causality. J. Med. Virol. 83:1345–1350, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.