RESUMEN
The purpose of our prospective, case-controlled study was to investigate the hypothesis that women who are genetically programmed to produce high or medium levels of IL-10 were more likely to develop cancer of the uterine cervix than individuals genetically predisposed to low IL-10 production. The population was recruited from patients attending gynecological clinics at 2 hospitals in Harare, Zimbabwe. Laboratory tests were performed in the Departments of Immunology, Chemical Pathology and Medical Microbiology, Medical School, University of Zimbabwe, and simultaneously at the Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, United Kingdom. Included in our study were 77 women with histologically proven cancer of the uterine cervix and 69 age- and parity-matched healthy women. All of the patients and healthy controls were from the Shona ethnic group that inhabits northern Zimbabwe. DNA was purified from cervical cytobrush samples obtained from women with cervical cancer. Control DNA was extracted from urine or peripheral blood samples from the healthy women. The Qiagen DNA extraction kit was used. Detection of allele A and/or G at -1082 in the promoter region of the IL-10 gene was carried out using the ARMS-PCR technique. Polymorphism in the amplified products was detected by gel electrophoresis in the presence of ethidium bromide and were bands visualized under UV light. The data comprise 77 women who developed invasive cervical cancer and 69 healthy women matched for age and parity. Patients with cancer were significantly (p = 0.001) more likely to be predisposed to produce higher (A/G) levels of IL-10. The genotype encoding for high (G/G) production of IL-10 was only observed in one cancer patient. The prevalence of low producers of IL-10 in the cancer group was significantly lower than in the healthy women. There were no high producers amongst the healthy women. These data suggest that the genetically acquired ability to produce higher levels of IL-10 may be a significant factor in the development of cervical cancer.
Asunto(s)
Interleucina-10/genética , Polimorfismo Genético , Neoplasias del Cuello Uterino/genética , Adulto , Anciano , Femenino , Humanos , Interleucina-10/biosíntesis , Persona de Mediana EdadRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To establish the prevalence of detectable low-risk and high-risk, oncogenic HPV types in cervical swabs of women with histologically proven cancer of the cervix. DESIGN: Cross sectional study. SETTING: Harare Central and Parirenyatwa Hospitals. SUBJECTS: 119 women with histologically proven cervical cancer of whom 63 had the degree of differentiation of the tumour reported. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Frequency of infection with high and low-risk human papillomaviruses. RESULTS: The presence of HPV DNA was demonstrated in 63% (75/119) of cases. Low risk HPVs were present in 26% (31/119) and high-risk HPVs were demonstrated in 51% (61/119) of samples tested. Co-infection with both low-risk and high-risk HPVs was observed in 14% (17/119) of the specimens. High-risk HPVs were detected in 55% (21/38) of poorly differentiated tumours while 60% (15/25) of moderately and well-differentiated tumours showed the presence of high-risk HPVs. CONCLUSION: High-risk human papillomaviruses are associated with cervical cancer. There was no significant difference in the frequency of high-risk HPV types in women with moderately to well-differentiated tumours and those with poorly-differentiated tumours.
Asunto(s)
Infecciones por Papillomavirus/epidemiología , Neoplasias del Cuello Uterino/virología , Adulto , Anciano , Estudios Transversales , ADN Viral/análisis , Femenino , Humanos , Persona de Mediana Edad , Papillomaviridae/aislamiento & purificación , Reacción en Cadena de la Polimerasa , Prevalencia , Factores de Riesgo , Neoplasias del Cuello Uterino/epidemiología , Zimbabwe/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To determine the susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to commonly used antibiotics and to study the relationship between antibiotic resistance and the plasmid profiles of the organism. DESIGN: Cross sectional study SETTING: Samples of burns, wound pus, urine, blood, sputum, stool and aspirates were obtained from Harare Hospital (n = 120) and Parirenyatwa Hospital(n = 80). SUBJECTS: Male and female patients either admitted or attending clinics. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: P. aeruginosa isolates obtained were resistant to commonly used antibiotics in this environment. The resistance may be plasmid-dependent. RESULTS: P. aeruginosa is prevalent in burns (76.7%) and wounds (67.5%) and in their respective hospital wards. The isolates of P. aeruginosa were resistant to gentamicin (65.5%); carbenicillin (61.9); polymyxinb (53.0%); ciprofloxacin (61.1%) and ceftriazone (70.8%); but showed high sensitivity to tazocin (89.4%) and nalidixic acid (59.3%) and cotrimoxazole (54.9%). All the isolates resistant to the antibiotics tested possessed plasmid DNA. Strains with four plasmids of molecular weight of approximately, 1.5 x 10(6), 1.8 x 10(6), 2.9 x 10(6) and 7.4 x 10(6) Da showed multiple resistance to the drugs that were tested. CONCLUSION: This study reveals an emergence of multiple antibiotic-resistant strains of P. aeruginosa. The traditional drugs gentamicin, carbenicillin, ciproflaxacin, and polymyxin-b used for treatment of P. aeruginosa infections may no longer be reliable. Therefore, a newer drug such as tazocin and other rarely used drugs such as nalidixic acid should be considered for P. aeruginosa antibiotic therapy.
Asunto(s)
Antibacterianos/farmacología , Farmacorresistencia Bacteriana Múltiple , Infecciones por Pseudomonas/tratamiento farmacológico , Pseudomonas aeruginosa/efectos de los fármacos , Pseudomonas aeruginosa/aislamiento & purificación , Sangre/microbiología , Quemaduras/microbiología , Estudios Transversales , Electroforesis en Gel de Agar , Heces/microbiología , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Plásmidos , Esputo/microbiología , Sudor/microbiología , Orina/microbiologíaRESUMEN
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to amplify an approximately 1.2 kb DNA fragment encompassing the pre-S/S gene region of HBV DNA from serum of patients with acute hepatitis B virus infection. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed a number of interesting features in the S gene region. Two Bam HI sites were located at nucleotide positions 557 and 872, respectively, in the S gene. Guanine (G) was found at nucleotide position 903 as part of AGA, the codon for arginine (R) corresponding to amino acid position 122 of the S protein. Adenine (A) was found at nucleotide position 1017 as part of AAA, the codon for lysine (K) corresponding to amino acid position 160 of the S protein. Nucleotide sequence alignment revealed a 97% homology to the corresponding domain of an HBVadw genome (clone pFDW294). Within the second loop of the "a" determinant, two mutations resulting in substitution of serine or threonine with the hydrophobic amino acids, methionine at position 143 and with alanine in place of glycine at position 145, are predicted from the consensus nucleotide sequence of the PCR-derived clones. Subtyping with monoclonal antibodies showed that the HBsAg was of the ayw subtype.
Asunto(s)
ADN Viral/sangre , Genes Virales , Variación Genética , Antígenos de Superficie de la Hepatitis B/genética , Virus de la Hepatitis B/genética , Hepatitis B/microbiología , Adulto , Secuencia de Aminoácidos , Secuencia de Bases , Clonación Molecular , Secuencia de Consenso , Ensayo de Inmunoadsorción Enzimática , Femenino , Antígenos de Superficie de la Hepatitis B/química , Virus de la Hepatitis B/aislamiento & purificación , Humanos , Datos de Secuencia Molecular , Hibridación de Ácido Nucleico , Reacción en Cadena de la Polimerasa , Precursores de Proteínas/química , Precursores de Proteínas/genética , Mapeo Restrictivo , Análisis de Secuencia de ADN , ZimbabweRESUMEN
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to amplify the pre-S1, pre-S2 and S gene regions of hepatitis B virus (HBV). Sera from three different patients were used as the source of HBV DNA. The resulting 1.2-kb amplification product was cloned into the plasmid pIBI30. Restriction enzyme analysis revealed that there are two BamHI sites located about 300 bp apart within the S gene. DNA sequencing revealed a greatest homology to the HBVadw subtype.