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Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer... Mar 2024Breast cancer, a pervasive invasive carcinoma among women globally, afflicts approximately 12% of women worldwide. Previous studies have indicated that certain viruses,...
INTRODUCTION
Breast cancer, a pervasive invasive carcinoma among women globally, afflicts approximately 12% of women worldwide. Previous studies have indicated that certain viruses, including oncogenic viruses such as polyomaviruses BK and JC, may play a role in the development of breast cancer. In light of this, the present study endeavors to assess the incidence of BKV and JCV virus in breast cancer patients.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
One hundred formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples were procured and subjected to deparaffinize by xylene, followed by DNA extraction through the phenol-chloroform methodology. Detection and genotyping of BKV and JCV were carried out utilizing specific primers via PCR analysis.
RESULTS
Merely 2 out of 100 (2%) ductal carcinoma in situ with grade 2 specimens exhibited positivity for BK virus genotype IV, whereas JC virus DNA was not discerned across all the samples.
DISCUSSION
The findings of the current investigation demonstrate that there was an absence of JC virus detection in the breast biopsy. Additionally, a small fraction of patients diagnosed with ductal carcinoma exhibited a low prevalence of genotype IV polyomavirus BK at a rate of 2%. However, in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the incidence of BKV and JCV in breast cancer, a substantial number of breast samples must undergo investigation.
Topics: Humans; Female; JC Virus; Breast Neoplasms; Prevalence; Polyomavirus Infections; DNA, Viral; BK Virus; Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating; Tumor Virus Infections
PubMed: 38546065
DOI: 10.31557/APJCP.2024.25.3.821 -
Vaccines Mar 2024The development of HIV prophylactic vaccines is facing an impasse, since all phase IIb/III clinical trials were halted in 2023 without demonstrating efficacy. Thus, the... (Review)
Review
The development of HIV prophylactic vaccines is facing an impasse, since all phase IIb/III clinical trials were halted in 2023 without demonstrating efficacy. Thus, the field is in need of developing novel immunogens and vaccination strategies that induce broadly neutralising antibodies together with potent Fc-dependent effector functions, as well as protective cross-reactive CD4 and CD8 T cell responses. Nucleic acid vaccines, particularly mRNA vaccines, have been one of the major groundbreaking advances in the current decade. Nucleic acid vaccines may help recalibrate the HIV vaccine field towards the use of delivery systems that allow the proper expression of immunogens as a sole antigen (i.e., membrane-bound trimeric envelope glycoproteins) or even to be displayed in a multiantigen platform that will be synthesised by the host. In this review, we will summarise how the multiple HIV vaccine strategies pursued in the last 40 years of HIV research have driven current vaccine development, which are the most relevant immunogens identified so far to induce balanced adaptive immune responses, and how they can benefit from the acceptance of nucleic acid vaccines in the market by reducing the limitations of previous delivery systems. The incorporation of nucleic acid vaccines into the current heterogeneous repertoire of vaccine platforms may represent an invaluable opportunity to reignite the fight against HIV.
PubMed: 38543932
DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12030298 -
Viruses Mar 2024Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus (ToBRFV) is a plant pathogen that infects important crop species and can dramatically reduce tomato crop yields. The ToBRFV has rapidly...
A Novel Tiled Amplicon Sequencing Assay Targeting the Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus (ToBRFV) Genome Reveals Widespread Distribution in Municipal Wastewater Treatment Systems in the Province of Ontario, Canada.
Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus (ToBRFV) is a plant pathogen that infects important crop species and can dramatically reduce tomato crop yields. The ToBRFV has rapidly spread around the globe due to its ability to escape detection by antiviral host genes which confer resistance to other tobamoviruses in tomato plants. The development of robust and reproducible methods for detecting viruses in the environment aids in the tracking and reduction of pathogen transmission. We detected ToBRFV in municipal wastewater influent (WWI) samples, likely due to its presence in human waste, demonstrating a widespread distribution of ToBRFV in WWI throughout Ontario, Canada. To aid in global ToBRFV surveillance efforts, we developed a tiled amplicon approach to sequence and track the evolution of ToBRFV genomes in municipal WWI. Our assay recovers 95.7% of the 6393 bp ToBRFV RefSeq genome, omitting the terminal 5' and 3' ends. We demonstrate that our sequencing assay is a robust, sensitive, and highly specific method for recovering ToBRFV genomes. Our ToBRFV assay was developed using existing ARTIC Network resources, including primer design, sequencing library prep, and read analysis. Additionally, we adapted our lineage abundance estimation tool, Alcov, to estimate the abundance of ToBRFV clades in samples.
Topics: Humans; Ontario; Solanum lycopersicum; Fruit; Tobamovirus; Water Purification
PubMed: 38543825
DOI: 10.3390/v16030460 -
Viruses Mar 2024In GEMINI-1/-2, dolutegravir + lamivudine was non-inferior to dolutegravir + tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine (TDF/FTC) in achieving viral suppression (viral...
Dolutegravir + Lamivudine vs. Dolutegravir + Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate/Emtricitabine: Very-Low-Level HIV-1 Replication through 144 Weeks in the GEMINI-1 and GEMINI-2 Studies.
In GEMINI-1/-2, dolutegravir + lamivudine was non-inferior to dolutegravir + tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine (TDF/FTC) in achieving viral suppression (viral load [VL] < 50 copies/mL) in treatment-naive adults. Abbott's RealTime HIV-1 assay provides quantitative VL (40-10,000,000 copies/mL) and qualitative target detected or target not detected (TND) for VL < 40 copies/mL. This post hoc analysis assessed very-low-level viremia and "blips" through Week 144. Proportions with VL < 40 copies/mL and TND are presented overall and by baseline VL and CD4+ cell count. "Blips" (single VL ≥ 50 to <200 copies/mL with adjacent values < 50 copies/mL) were assessed from Day 1 after VL suppression and from Weeks 48 through to 144. Proportions with TND increased through Week 48 and were similar between groups at all visits (Week 144: dolutegravir + lamivudine, 451/716 [63%]; dolutegravir + TDF/FTC, 465/717 [65%]). By observed analysis, TND rates were similar between groups across baseline subgroups. Through Week 144, proportions with ≥1 "blip" were generally comparable for dolutegravir + lamivudine vs. dolutegravir + TDF/FTC from Day 1 (15% vs. 20%) and from Week 48 (7% vs. 11%). Through 144 weeks, the proportions with TND or "blips" were similar between dolutegravir + lamivudine and the three-drug comparator, reinforcing the efficacy and durability of dolutegravir + lamivudine.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Lamivudine; Emtricitabine; Tenofovir; HIV Infections; Anti-HIV Agents; HIV-1; Drug Therapy, Combination; Heterocyclic Compounds, 3-Ring; HIV Seropositivity; Viral Load; Virus Replication; Oxazines; Piperazines; Pyridones
PubMed: 38543770
DOI: 10.3390/v16030405 -
Genes Feb 2024In 2015 and 2016, two Barramundi () farms in Singapore reported a disease outbreak characterized by lethargic behavior, pronounced inappetence, generalized skin lesions,...
In 2015 and 2016, two Barramundi () farms in Singapore reported a disease outbreak characterized by lethargic behavior, pronounced inappetence, generalized skin lesions, erosions of the fins and tail, and ultimately high mortality in their fish. Next-generation sequencing and PCR confirmed presence of a novel virus belonging to the family, herpesvirus (LCHV), which was subsequently isolated and cultured. We characterize, for the first time, the complete genome of two cultured LCHV isolates. The genome contains a long unique region of approximately 105,000 bp flanked by terminal repeats of approximately 24,800 bp, of which the first 8.2 kb do not show any similarity to described genomes in the family. The two cultured isolates share 89% nucleotide identity, and their closest relatives are the viruses belonging to the genus . Experimental infections using one of the cultured LCHV isolates resulted in identical clinical signs as originally described in the index farm, both in intraperitoneal-injection infected fish and cohabitant fish, with mortality in both groups. Histopathological analysis showed pronounced abnormalities in the gills. Virus culture and PCR analysis confirmed the replication of LCHV in the infected fish, and thus Koch's postulates were fulfilled.
Topics: Animals; Perciformes; Genome; Fishes
PubMed: 38540323
DOI: 10.3390/genes15030264 -
Journal of Virology Apr 2024
PubMed: 38529953
DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00282-24 -
European Journal of Clinical... May 2024This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and viral reactivations of clinical interest in the immunocompromised patient with particular focus on hematologic and...
PURPOSE
This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and viral reactivations of clinical interest in the immunocompromised patient with particular focus on hematologic and solid organ transplant recipients.
METHODS
Molecular screening data of CMV, EBV, JCV and BKV from 2011 to 2023 were analyzed. This extensive time span allowed the access to more than 100,000 samples from over 20,000 patients treated at Policlinico Umberto I. It was possible to temporally investigate patient attendance patterns, average age distribution, seasonality of infections, and positivity rates of the analyzed viruses.
RESULTS
Between 2019 and 2022 a significant reduction in organ transplants performed and in the positive molecular detection of EBV, JCV and BKV was observed. Additionally, there has been a noteworthy decrease in CMV reactivations, with a reduction of up to 50% starting in 2019. A remarkable reduction of 39% in the rate of CMV viral reactivation has been also achieved in SOT between 2016 and 2023.
CONCLUSION
The years following 2019 were profoundly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic era. This period resulted in a substantial reduction in healthcare services and hospital visits. Furthermore, the introduction of the drug Letermovir in Italy in 2019 demonstrated remarkable efficacy, evidenced by a reduction in CMV reactivations. Additionally, the adoption of a novel clinical approach centered on personalized therapy facilitated improved management of immunocompromised patients.
Topics: Humans; Italy; Immunocompromised Host; Hospitals, University; Male; Middle Aged; COVID-19; Female; Virus Activation; Virus Diseases; Aged; Adult; JC Virus; BK Virus; Cytomegalovirus Infections; Herpesvirus 4, Human; Prevalence; Organ Transplantation; Transplant Recipients; Cytomegalovirus; Polyomavirus Infections
PubMed: 38517571
DOI: 10.1007/s10096-024-04812-z -
Nature Communications Mar 2024Influenza virus continuously evolves to escape human adaptive immunity and generates seasonal epidemics. Therefore, influenza vaccine strains need to be updated annually...
Influenza virus continuously evolves to escape human adaptive immunity and generates seasonal epidemics. Therefore, influenza vaccine strains need to be updated annually for the upcoming flu season to ensure vaccine effectiveness. We develop a computational approach, beth-1, to forecast virus evolution and select representative virus for influenza vaccine. The method involves modelling site-wise mutation fitness. Informed by virus genome and population sero-positivity, we calibrate transition time of mutations and project the fitness landscape to future time, based on which beth-1 selects the optimal vaccine strain. In season-to-season prediction in historical data for the influenza A pH1N1 and H3N2 viruses, beth-1 demonstrates superior genetic matching compared to existing approaches. In prospective validations, the model shows superior or non-inferior genetic matching and neutralization against circulating virus in mice immunization experiments compared to the current vaccine. The method offers a promising and ready-to-use tool to facilitate vaccine strain selection for the influenza virus through capturing heterogeneous evolutionary dynamics over genome space-time and linking molecular variants to population immune response.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Mice; Influenza Vaccines; Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype; Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus; Influenza, Human; Mutation; Seasons
PubMed: 38514647
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46918-0 -
Nefrologia 2024
Topics: Humans; Immunocompromised Host; JC Virus; Kidney Diseases; Kidney Transplantation; Polyomavirus Infections; Postoperative Complications; Tumor Virus Infections
PubMed: 38514305
DOI: 10.1016/j.nefroe.2024.03.003 -
JMIR Public Health and Surveillance May 2024Community engagement plays a vital role in global immunization strategies, offering the potential to overcome vaccination hesitancy and enhance vaccination confidence.... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Community engagement plays a vital role in global immunization strategies, offering the potential to overcome vaccination hesitancy and enhance vaccination confidence. Although there is significant backing for community engagement in health promotion, the evidence supporting its effectiveness in vaccination promotion is fragmented and of uncertain quality.
OBJECTIVE
This review aims to systematically examine the effectiveness of different contents and extent of community engagement for promoting vaccination rates.
METHODS
This study was performed in accordance with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. A comprehensive and exhaustive literature search was performed in 4 English databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library) and 2 Chinese databases (CNKI and Wan Fang) to identify all possible articles. Original research articles applying an experimental study design that investigated the effectiveness of community engagement in vaccination promotion were eligible for inclusion. Two reviewers independently performed the literature search, study selection, quality assessment, and data extraction. Discrepancies were resolved through discussion, with the arbitration of a third reviewer where necessary.
RESULTS
A total of 20 articles out of 11,404 records from 2006 to 2021 were retrieved. The studies used various designs: 12 applied single-group pre-post study designs, 5 were cluster randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and 3 were non-RCTs. These studies targeted multiple vaccines, with 8 focusing on children's immunization, 8 on human papillomavirus vaccine, 3 on hepatitis B virus vaccine, and 1 on COVID-19 vaccine. The meta-analysis revealed significant increases in vaccination rates both in pre-post comparison (rate difference [RD] 0.34, 95% CI 0.21-0.47, I=99.9%, P<.001) and between-group comparison (RD 0.18, 95% CI 0.07-0.29, I=98.4%, P<.001). The meta-analysis revealed that participant recruitment had the largest effect size (RD 0.51, 95% CI 0.36-0.67, I=99.9%, P<.001), followed by intervention development (RD 0.36, 95% CI 0.23-0.50, I=100.0%, P<.001), intervention implementation (RD 0.35, 95% CI 0.22-0.47, I=99.8%, P<.001), and data collection (RD 0.34, 95% CI 0.19-0.50, I=99.8%, P<.001). The meta-analysis indicated that high community engagement extent yielded the largest effect size (RD 0.49, 95% CI 0.17-0.82, I=100.0%, P<.001), followed by moderate community engagement extent (RD 0.45, 95% CI 0.33-0.58, I=99.6%, P<.001) and low community engagement extent (RD 0.15, 95% CI 0.05-0.25, I=99.2%, P<.001). The meta-analysis revealed that "health service support" demonstrated the largest effect sizes (RD 0.45, 95% CI 0.25-0.65, I=99.9%, P<.001), followed by "health education and discussion" (RD 0.39, 95% CI 0.20-0.58, I=99.7%, P<.001), "follow-up and reminder" (RD 0.33, 95% CI 0.23-0.42, I=99.3%, P<.001), and "social marketing campaigns and community mobilization" (RD 0.24, 95% CI 0.06-0.41, I=99.9%, P<.001).
CONCLUSIONS
The results of this meta-analysis supported the effectiveness of community engagement in vaccination promotion with variations in terms of engagement contents and extent. Community engagement required a "fit-for-purpose" approach rather than a "one-size-fits-all" approach to maximize the effectiveness of vaccine promotion.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
PROSPERO CRD42022339081; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=339081.
Topics: Humans; Health Promotion; Community Participation; Vaccination
PubMed: 38478914
DOI: 10.2196/49695