Serologic control against hepatitis B virus among dental students of the University of Granada, Spain

Background

To evaluate the immunological situation against hepatitis B virus (HBV) of a cohort of dentistry students, to analyze the behavior of the levels of hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) after the administration of one or three vaccine doses, and to determine the influence of age and sex on the immune response.

Material and Methods

This retrospective cohort study included students attending the School of Dentistry of the institution where the study was performed from 2005 to 2012 who had completed the public health vaccination calendar for HBV at the age of 12-13. Data on age, sex, basal anti-HBs levels, post-vaccination anti-HBs results and final anti-HBs levels were collected. Comparisons of the basal and final levels, as well as associations regarding age and sex, were performed by means of the Student t and Chi-square tests.

Results

Of the 359 students, 97 (27.02%) had basal antibody concentrations <10 mIU/ml, whereas in 262 the levels of anti-HBs were ≥10 mIU/ml (72.98%). Of the 288 participating students who completed the School´s protocol for immunization, 287 (99.65%) attained a level of protection ≥10 mIU/ml. Globally, there were statistically significant differences between the basal antibody levels and those achieved after administration of the vaccine and booster, but no association with age or sex was observed.

Conclusions

About 70% of dental students vaccinated as preadolescents had serologic evidence of protection against HBV. Administering a booster is associated with the presence of an excellent immune memory. There is clearly a need to reinforce control of the antibody levels in groups at risk, such as Dentistry students.

Key words:Dental students, hepatitis B virus, serologic control.

Quantitative distribution of Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli on beef carcasses and raw beef at retail establishments

Salmonella is a foodborne pathogen that commonly inhabits the gastrointestinal tract of a healthy feedlot cattle and can be transferred to the carcass surface during hide removal and evisceration procedures. Numerous investigations on Salmonella prevalence throughout different stages of the beef chain have been conducted. In contrast, limited studies are available on quantitative determinations of Salmonella at different steps in raw meat production. Quantitative data, particularly for pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella are important for quantitative risk assessment. Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli populations were enumerated on beef carcass samples collected at abattoirs and also in beef chunks and ground beef samples collected from butcher's shops at retail in Jalisco State, Mexico. Sponge samples from beef carcass sides (n=142) were collected immediately after final water wash and before chilling at three non-federally inspected abattoirs following USDA-FSIS sampling protocols. Beef chunks (n=84) and ground beef (n=65) samples were obtained from 86 butcher's shops. Salmonella enumeration was conducted by the Most Probable Number method and E. coli counts were determined using Petrifilm plates. Salmonella was isolated from 18% of beef carcasses, 39% of beef chunks and 71% of ground beef samples. Salmonella mean counts were 1.3±0.9 Log MPN/300 cm(2) on beef carcasses, 1.9±0.9 and 2.3±1.1 Log MPN/25 g in beef chunks and ground beef samples, respectively. Twenty-six Salmonella serotypes and 11 serogroups were identified among 432 isolates recovered. Salmonella typhimurium (14%), Salmonella sinstorf (12%) and S. Group E1 monophasic (10%) were the most frequent. Escherichia coli was present on 97, 84 and 100% of beef carcasses, beef chunks and ground beef samples, respectively. Escherichia coli mean counts were 3.2±0.7 Log CFU/300 cm(2), 3.9±1.1 and 4.5±1.2 Log CFU/25 g on beef carcasses, beef chunks and ground beef, respectively. Salmonella prevalence and mean counts found in raw beef were higher than previously reported in studies from other countries. The data collected in this study show a trend in the prevalence of Salmonella to be higher as meat processing is extended at retail. This, together with the diversity of serotypes found, indicates that raw meat is exposed to multiple contamination sources during slaughter and retail processing and highlights the necessity to implement Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures for those establishments. Finally, this study provides quantitative information for future risk assessments associated with the risk of human salmonellosis.

Methylphenidate has long-lasting metaplastic effects in the prefrontal cortex of adolescent rats

Methylphenidate (MPH) is widely used as a "nootropic" agent and in the treatment of disorders of attention, and has been shown to modulate synaptic plasticity in vitro. Here we present in vivo evidence that this MPH-induced metaplasticity can last long after the end of treatment. MPH (0, 0.2, 1 and 5mg/kg) was administered daily to male rats from postnatal day 42 for 15 days. The animals were tested daily in a radial maze. Long-term potentiation (LTP), a marker of neural plasticity, was induced in vivo in the prefrontal cortex after 2-3h, 15-18 days or 5 months without treatment. The behavioral performance of the 1mg/kg group improved, while that of animals that had received 5mg/kg deteriorated. In the 1 and 5mg/kg groups LTP induced 2-3h after the last MPH treatment was twice as large as in the controls. Further, 15-18 days after the last MPH administration, in groups receiving 1 and 5mg/kg, LTP was about fourfold higher than in controls. However, 5 months later, LTP in the 1mg/kg group was similar to controls and in the 5mg/kg group LTP could not be induced at all. No significant changes of LTP were seen in the low-dose group of animals (0.2mg/kg). Thus, firstly, doses of MPH that improve learning coincide approximately with those that augment LTP. Secondly, MPH-induced increases in LTP can last for several weeks, but these may disappear over longer periods or deteriorate at high doses.

Long-term safety and efficacy of eslicarbazepine acetate in patients with focal seizures: results of the 1-year ESLIBASE retrospective study

BACKGROUND

Eslicarbazepine acetate (ESL) is a new antiepileptic drug (AED) licensed as adjunctive therapy in adults with partial-onset or focal seizures.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate in a clinical practice setting the long-term efficacy and safety of ESL in patients with focal seizures.

METHODS

ESLIBASE was a retrospective study that included all patients with focal seizures who started ESL between January 2010 and July 2012 at 12 hospitals. ESL was prescribed individually according to real-life practice. Efficacy and safety were evaluated over 1 year. Switching from carbamazepine (CBZ) and oxcarbazepine (OXC) was assessed.

RESULTS

Three hundred and twenty-seven patients were included; 78% of patients were taking ≥2 other AEDs at baseline. Most (87%) began ESL because of poor seizure control and 13% because of adverse events (AEs) with CBZ or OXC. After 1 year, 237 patients (72.4%) remained on ESL. At 3, 6 and 12 months, the responder rate was 46.3%, 57.9%, and 52.5%, and 21.0%, 28.0%, and 25.3% of patients were seizure free. The responder rate significantly increased when ESL was combined with a non-sodium channel-targeting drug (non-SC drug) (66.7%) versus an SC drug (47.7%; p<0.001). At 12 months, 40.7% of patients had ≥1 AE; AEs led to treatment discontinuation in 16.2%. Dizziness, nausea, and somnolence were the most common AEs. The tolerability profile improved in >50% of the patients who switched from CBZ or OXC to ESL because of AEs.

CONCLUSIONS

ESL was well tolerated and effective in a real-world setting over 1 year. Side-effect profile improved when OXC and CBZ recipients were switched to ESL.

Cancer vaccine characterization: from bench to clinic

BACKGROUND

The development of safe, effective, and affordable vaccines has become a global effort due to its vast impact on overall world health conditions. A brief overview of vaccine characterization techniques, especially in the area of high-resolution mass spectrometry, is presented. It is highly conceivable that the proper use of advanced technologies such as high-resolution mass spectrometry, along with the appropriate chemical and physical property evaluations, will yield tremendous in-depth scientific understanding for the characterization of vaccines in various stages of vaccine development. This work presents the physicochemical and biological characterization of cancer vaccine Racotumomab/alumina, a murine anti-idiotypic antibody that mimics N-glycolyl-GM3 gangliosides. This antibody has been tested as an anti-idiotypic cancer vaccine, adjuvated in Al(OH)3, in several clinical trials for melanoma, breast, and lung cancer.

METHODS

Racotumomab was obtained from ascites fluid, transferred to fermentation in stirred tank at 10 L and followed to a scale up to 41 L. The mass spectrometry was used for the determination of intact molecule, light and heavy chains masses; amino acids sequence analysis, N- and C-terminal, glycosylation and posttranslational modifications. Also we used the DLS for the size distribution and zeta potential analysis. The biological analyses were performed in mice and chickens.

RESULTS

We observed differences in glycosylation pattern, charge heterogeneity and structural stability between in vivo-produced and bioreactor-obtained Racotumomab products. Interestingly, these modifications had no significant impact on the immune responses elicited in two different animal models.

CONCLUSIONS

We are demonstrated that this approach could potentially be more efficient and effective for supporting vaccine research and development.

Abstract P3-07-01: Family history of breast cancer in a population-based breast cancer cohort: No association with PAM50 intrinsic subtype or prognosis

Basal-like intrinsic subtype and poor prognosis are characteristic of breast cancers in BRCA1 families, but other genes also confer inherited predisposition to breast cancer, and subtype associations may differ. The objective of this study was to examine whether family history of breast cancer is associated with basal-like subtype and/or poor prognosis in a population-based sample of women with breast cancer. METHODS: The study population was the Life After Cancer Epidemiology (LACE) cohort, diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996-2000, and the Pathways cohort, diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006-2008. History of breast cancer among first-degree relatives was obtained by self-report at study enrollment, and women were followed for breast cancer recurrence and mortality. Primary breast cancer tissue was obtained for a case-cohort sample. Intrinsic subtypes were classified based on RT-PCR assay of 50 genes (PAM50). Sample-weighted subtype distributions were compared by family history. Hazard ratios (HR) for recurrence and mortality were estimated from Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: From 4,256 women in the parent cohorts who responded to the family history question, 20.5% reported a first-degree family history of breast cancer. Among women with family history, 80.6% were diagnosed at ages 50 and older, compared with 76.3% of women without family history, p = 0.007. Among cases with family history, 79.2% were non-Hispanic whites, compared with 72.3% of cases without family history, p &lt; 0.001. Within the subcohort with PAM50 results (n = 1,319), cases with and without family history had 8.5% and 10.2% prevalence of basal-like tumors, respectively, p = 0.27. For cases diagnosed before age 50, the prevalences of basal-like subtype for women with and without family history were 18.6% and 15.9%, respectively, p = 0.62. Women with family history had similar recurrence risk to those without, HR 0.82 (95% CI 0.61, 1.11; age- and race-adjusted). Women with family history had a suggestive reduced risk of death from all causes, HR 0.75 (95% 0.55, 1.02). Family history was not significantly associated with recurrence or survival within any intrinsic subtype group. DISCUSSION: Although BRCA1 is known to predispose to basal-like subtype, we found no association between family history of breast cancer and basal-like subtype or worse prognosis in this population-based cohort. Mutation status for BRCA1 and other cancer susceptibility genes are unknown for cohort members. First-degree family history of breast cancer may represent the presence of one of the several inherited breast cancer susceptibility genes, or chance aggregation of sporadic cases. Particularly for a woman diagnosed at an older age, her mother and sisters would also have reached ages when sporadic breast cancer incidence is high. Among women diagnosed before age 50, family history was associated with a small and non-significant excess of basal-like tumors. Implications of this study are that for women from the general population diagnosed with breast cancer, a first-degree family history of breast cancer indicates neither a higher probability of a basal-like tumor nor worse prognosis. Support: NIH CA129059 and CA105274.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2013;73(24 Suppl): Abstract nr P3-07-01.

The Polymyxin Ceftazidime Oxford Medium as an alternative selective and differential medium for isolation of Listeria monocytogenes from raw or unpasteurized food

The Polymyxin Ceftazidime Oxford Medium (PCOM) was developed to recover Listeria monocytogenes from raw or unpasteurized foods. It contains esculin-ferric ammonium citrate as indicator system for Listeria growth, and ceftazidime and polymyxin B as selective agents, which are available in several Latin American countries. Comparison of PCOM, Modified Oxford Medium (MOX) and Tryptic Soy agar with 0.6% yeast extract (TSAYE) indicated that both selective media were equally effective at recovering four individual strains of L. monocytogenes (Scott A, V7, California and broccoli), and a mixture of these strains (LMM) (P > 0.05). The ability of PCOM, MOX, TSAYE and TSAYE supplemented with 4% NaCl to recover heat, acid and freeze-damaged LMM was similar for all media (P > 0.05). The PCOM proved to be effective at isolating colonies of LMM from inoculated raw beef chunks, unpasteurized orange juice, cabbage, and Mexican-style cheese by direct plating and by the US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service enrichment method. Differentiation of L. monocytogenes colonies was easier on PCOM than on MOX for foods with high levels of background microbiota. Based on the evaluations performed on foods naturally contaminated with L. monocytogenes, PCOM was a more economical alternative than MOX for selective and differential isolation of Listeria from raw or unpasteurized foods.

Using (137)Cs and (210)Pbex and other sediment source fingerprints to document suspended sediment sources in small forested catchments in south-central Chile

A study of the impact of forest harvesting operations on sediment mobilization from forested catchments has been undertaken in south-central Chile. The study focused on two sets of small paired catchments (treatment and control), with similar soil type, but contrasting mean annual rainfall, located about 400 km apart at Nacimiento (1200 mm yr(-1)) and Los Ulmos (2500 mm yr(-1)). The objective was to study the changes in the relative contribution of the primary sources of fine sediment caused by forestry operations. Attention focused on the pre-harvest and post-harvest periods and the post-replanting period was included for the Nacimiento treatment catchment. The sediment source fingerprinting technique was used to document the contributions of the potential sources. Emphasis was placed on discriminating between the forest slopes, forest roads and channel erosion as potential sources of fine sediment and on assessing the relative contributions of these three sources to the sediment yield from the catchments. The fallout radionuclides (FRNs) (137)Cs and excess lead-210, the environmental radionuclides (226)Ra and (40)K and soil organic matter (SOM) were tested as possible fingerprints for discriminating between potential sediment sources. The Kruskal-Wallis test and discriminant function analysis were used to guide the selection of the optimum fingerprint set for each catchment and observation period. Either one or both of the FRNs were selected for inclusion in the optimum fingerprint for all datasets. The relative contribution of each sediment source to the target sediment load was estimated using the selected fingerprint properties, and a mixing model coupled with a Monte Carlo simulation technique that takes account of uncertainty in characterizing sediment source properties. The goodness of fit of the mixing model was tested by comparing the measured and simulated fingerprint properties for the target sediment samples. In the Nacimiento treatment catchment the relative contribution from the forest slopes and forest roads increased from 16 to 25% and from 37 to 45%, respectively, after clearcutting. Similar changes in source contributions associated with clearcutting were documented for the Los Ulmos treatment catchment, where the relative contribution of the forest slopes increased from 10.5 to 30% and that of the roads from 10 to 20%. The results indicate that the changes in sediment source are closely related to the disturbance of the catchment by clearcutting, but are also influenced by the amount of rainfall that occurred after clearcutting. They also emphasise the need to implement better management practices during forest harvesting, to reduce the increase in sediment mobilization from catchment slopes and roads, which can result in loss of valuable soil and associated nutrients from the forest floor and cause degradation of the water quality of adjacent streams.

Anastrepha egg deposition induces volatiles in fruits that attract the parasitoid Fopius arisanus

Fopius arisanus is a solitary egg-pupal endoparasitoid that attacks several species of tephritid fruit flies, particularly Bactrocera spp. This species, indigenous from the Indo-Australian region, was introduced into Mexico for biological control purposes. From the standpoint of the 'new associations' concept this parasitoid has been evaluated against fruit flies in the Anastrepha complex. We investigated the specificity of F. arisanus responses to fruits infested with two species of Anastrepha. We examined whether fruit volatiles attractive to this parasitoid are induced as a result of fruit fly oviposition. We also investigated whether F. arisanus females are able to discriminate between the oviposition-induced volatiles from host eggs parasitised by conspecifics and volatiles from unparasitised eggs. All experiments were performed in a wind tunnel. Results showed that mango fruits infested with A. ludens eggs (2-3 days after egg deposition) were significantly more attractive to naïve F. arisanus females compared with non-infested fruits or fruits infested with larvae. In addition, guava fruits harbouring A. striata eggs were significantly more attractive to the parasitoid than non-infested fruits or fruits infested with larvae. Thus, the parasitoid was attracted to fruits with eggs, but fruit and fly species did not influence the parasitoid attraction. We also found that F. arisanus females were more attracted to fruits exposed to fertile A. ludens females (i.e. fruits with eggs inside) compared with fruits exposed to sterile females (i.e. fruits with no eggs inside) or fruits with mechanical damage. Parasitoid females were not attracted to A. ludens eggs. The results suggest that the presence of eggs induces volatiles that attract parasitoids. Finally, we found that F. arisanus was able to discriminate between fruits with unparasitised eggs vs. eggs parasitised by conspecifics, indicating that host discrimination could be mediated by olfactory cues.

Effect of the use of a neutralizing step after antimicrobial application on microbial counts during challenge studies for orange disinfection

The effects of using a neutralizer after applying antimicrobial treatments and the effect of time lapse between treatment application and subsequent recovery and enumeration of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella were investigated in Valencia oranges. Inoculated oranges surfaces were washed with distilled water for 15 s and then sprayed with a solution containing 200 mg/liter sodium hypochlorite (pH 6.5) for 15 s; they were then dipped in L-lactic acid (2.0% at 55°C) for 1 min or in distilled water at 80°C for 1 min. Posttreatment, oranges were divided into two groups. In the first group, oranges were dipped in neutralization treatment: 270 ml of buffered peptone water for 2 min for lactic acid-treated oranges, 270 ml of Dey-Engley broth for 2 min for chlorine-treated oranges, or 3.7 liters of tap water (25°C) for 10 s for hot water-treated oranges. The second group of treated oranges was not subjected to any neutralizer. All oranges then were kept at room temperature (average 26.2°C) and sampled at 0, 7.5, and 15 min for enumeration of surviving Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7. The orange surface (30 cm(2)) was excised for pathogen enumeration. The presence of free chlorine and changes in pH and temperature on the orange surface were determined in uninoculated, treated oranges. Free chlorine was detected on oranges after treatment; the change in temperature of orange surfaces was greater during treatment with hot water than with lactic acid. Nevertheless, pathogen enumeration did not show any impact of neutralizer use on the residual activity of antimicrobials or any impact of the time elapsed between antimicrobial treatment and recovery of bacterial pathogens from inoculated oranges (P ≥ 0.05). The results of this study indicate that the lack of a neutralizing step before enumeration of pathogens is not likely to affect the accuracy of results during challenge studies to test pathogen reduction strategies on oranges.

Design and validation of a neuroprosthesis for the treatment of upper limb tremor

Pathological tremor is the most prevalent movement disorder. In spite of the existence of various treatments for it, tremor poses a functional problem to a large proportion of patients. This paper presents the design and implementation of a novel neuroprosthesis for tremor management. The paper starts by reviewing a series of design criteria that were established after analyzing users needs and the expected functionality of the system. Then, it summarizes the design of the neuroprosthesis, which was built to meet the criteria defined previously. Experimental results with a representative group of 12 patients show that the neuroprosthesis provided significant (p < 0.001) and systematic tremor attenuation (in average 52.33 ± 25.48 %), and encourage its functional evaluation as a potential new treatment for tremor in a large cohort of patients.

Evaluation of peroxyacetic acid as a post-chilling intervention for control of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Typhimurium on beef carcass surfaces

Four experiments were conducted to test the efficacy of peroxyacetic acid as a microbial intervention on beef carcass surfaces. In these experiments, beef carcass surfaces were inoculated with fecal material (no pathogens) or fecal material containing rifampicin-resistant Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Typhimurium. Inoculated surfaces were subjected to a simulated carcass wash with and without 2% l-lactic acid treatment before chilling. In Experiments 1 and 2, the chilled carcass surfaces were sprayed with peroxyacetic acid (200 ppm; 43°) for 15 s. Peroxyacetic acid had no effect on microbial counts of any organism measured on these carcass surfaces. However, lactic acid reduced counts of E. coli Type I (1.9log(10) CFU/cm(2)), coliforms (3.0log(10) CFU/cm(2)), E. coli O157:H7 (2.7log(10) CFU/cm(2)), and S. Typhimurium (2.8log(10) CFU/cm(2)) entering the chilling cooler and prevented growth during the chilling period. In Experiment 3, peroxyacetic acid at different concentrations (200, 600, and 1000 ppm) and application temperatures (45 and 55 °C) were used to investigate its effectiveness in killing E. coli O157:H7 and S. Typhimurium compared to 4% l-lactic acid (55 °C). Application temperature did not affect the counts of either microorganism. Peroxyacetic acid concentrations up to 600 ppm had no effect on these microorganisms. Concentrations of 1000 ppm reduced E. coli O157:H7 and S. Typhimurium by up to 1.7 and 1.3log(10) CFU/cm(2), respectively. However, 4% lactic acid reduced these organisms by 2.7 and 3.4log(10) CFU/cm(2), respectively. In Experiment 4, peroxyacetic acid (200 ppm; 43 °C) was applied to hot carcass surfaces. This treatment caused a 0.7log(10) CFU/cm(2) reduction in both E. coli O157:H7 and S. Typhimurium. The collective results from these experiments indicate that peroxyacetic acid was not an effective intervention when applied to chilled inoculated carcass piece surfaces.

Conservative surgical treatment for toxic megacolon due to Clostridium difficile infection in a transplanted pediatric patient

Severe disease caused by Clostridium difficile is frequently encountered in transplant recipients and carries a high mortality. Numerous studies have been published on this subject in the adult population, but few in the pediatric setting. A 4-year-old boy who had undergone heart transplant 20 months earlier was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit after humoral rejection. Seven days after admission, he developed septic shock, abdominal distension, and paralytic ileus without diarrhea. Pseudomembranous colitis due to C. difficile was confirmed by microbiological and radiological studies. Despite treatment with rectal vancomycin and intravenous metronidazole, the patient did not improve and required decompressive laparotomy; because of the poor subsequent clinical course, terminal ileostomy and cecostomy were performed in a second operation. Recovery was satisfactory, and surgical reconstruction of intestinal tract was performed 3 months later without complications. Although early surgery with total colectomy is indicated, when there is a poor response to medical treatment in cases of C. difficile toxic megacolon, the case we present responded favorably to a conservative surgical approach that enabled intestinal integrity to be restored 3 months later. In the pediatric population, less aggressive therapeutic options should be considered, as they have benefits on the subsequent quality of life of the patient.

Survival and germination of Clostridium perfringens spores during heating and cooling of ground pork

The effect of heating rate on the heat resistance, germination, and outgrowth of Clostridium perfringens spores during cooking of cured ground pork was investigated. Inoculated cured ground pork portions were heated from 20 to 75°C at a rate of 4, 8, or 12°C/h and then held at 75°C for 48 h. No significant differences (P > 0.05) in the heat resistance of C. perfringens spores were observed in cured ground pork heated at 4, 8, or 12°C/h. At heating rates of 8 and 12°C/h, no significant differences in the germination and outgrowth of spores were observed (P > 0.05). However, when pork was heated at 4°C/h, growth of C. perfringens occurred when the temperature of the product was between 44 and 56°C. In another set of experiments, the behavior of C. perfringens spores under temperature abuse conditions was studied in cured and noncured ground pork heated at 4°C/h and then cooled from 54.4 to 7.2°C within 20 h. Temperature abuse during cooling of noncured ground pork resulted in a 2.8-log CFU/g increase in C. perfringens. In cured ground pork, C. perfringens decreased by 1.1 log CFU/g during cooling from 54.4 to 36.3°C and then increased by 0.9 log CFU/g until the product reached 7.2°C. Even when the initial level of C. perfringens spores in cured ground pork was 5 log CFU/g, the final counts after abusive cooling did not exceed 3.4 log CFU/g. These results suggest that there is no risk associated with C. perfringens in cured pork products under the tested conditions.

Development of wild barley (Hordeum chilense)-derived DArT markers and their use into genetic and physical mapping

Diversity arrays technology (DArT) genomic libraries were developed from H. chilense accessions to support robust genotyping of this species and a novel crop comprising H. chilense genome (e.g., tritordeums). Over 11,000 DArT clones were obtained using two complexity reduction methods. A subset of 2,209 DArT markers was identified on the arrays containing these clones as polymorphic between parents and segregating in a population of 92 recombinant inbred lines (RIL) developed from the cross between H. chilense accessions H1 and H7. Using the segregation data a high-density map of 1,503 cM was constructed with average inter-bin density of 2.33 cM. A subset of DArT markers was also mapped physically using a set of wheat-H. chilense chromosome addition lines. It allowed the unambiguous assignment of linkage groups to chromosomes. Four segregation distortion regions (SDRs) were found on the chromosomes 2H(ch), 3H(ch) and 5H(ch) in agreement with previous findings in barley. The new map improves the genome coverage of previous H. chilense maps. H. chilense-derived DArT markers will enable further genetic studies in ongoing projects on hybrid wheat, seed carotenoid content improvement or tritordeum breeding program. Besides, the genetic map reported here will be very useful as the basis to develop comparative genomics studies with barley and model species.

Comparison of different washing treatments for reducing pathogens on orange surfaces and for preventing the transfer of bacterial pathogens to fresh-squeezed orange juice

The objectives of this study were to compare the effectiveness of various washing treatments for reducing Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella sp., and Listeria monocytogenes populations on orange surfaces and to measure the effect of some of these treatments in preventing the transfer of pathogens during juice extraction. Orange surfaces inoculated with L. monocytogenes or a mixture of E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Typhimurium were washed by water spray and then sprayed with or dipped in water at 80°C for 1 min, 70% ethanol for 15, 30, or 45 s or 1, 2, or 4 min, 2 or 4% lactic acid solution at 55°C for 15, 30, or 45 s or 1, 2, or 4 min, or 200 mg/liter hypochlorite at pH 6.5 or 10 for 15 s. The surviving populations of these pathogens on the oranges were enumerated after each treatment. In a further stage, the ability of these pathogens to be transferred to the juice during extraction was tested. Juice was obtained from inoculated oranges that were subjected to selected treatments using chlorine, lactic acid, ethanol, and hot water as described above, and then bacterial counts in orange juice were determined. The application of these treatments reduced the populations of pathogens on orange surfaces by 1.9 to >4.9 log, 1.9 to >4.6 log, and 1.4 to 3.1 log cycles for E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium, and L. monocytogenes, respectively. The treatments using hot water or lactic acid showed greater reductions than other treatments. The time, antimicrobial concentration, and form of application affected the bacterial reduction. All treatments resulted in undetectable counts in the juice. Nevertheless, pathogens were recovered by the enrichment-plating method. Treatment of oranges before juice extraction may reduce the risk associated with consuming orange juice.

Evaluation of additional cooking procedures to achieve lethality microbiological performance standards for large, intact meat products

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) has a specific lethality performance standard for ready-to-eat products. To assist meat processing establishments in meeting the performance standard, USDA-FSIS developed Appendix A, which provides guidelines for cooking temperatures, times, and relative humidity. This project determined whether the USDA-FSIS performance standards for lethality were met when using parameters other than those identified in Appendix A to cook large hams and beef inside rounds. The effects of alternative lethality parameters on the reduction of Salmonella Typhimurium and coliforms and on the toxin production of Staphylococcus aureus were evaluated. Large (9- to 12-kg) cured bone-in hams (n = 80) and large (8- to 13-kg) uncured beef inside rounds (n = 80) were used in this study. The products were subjected to 1 of 10 treatments defined by combinations of final internal product temperatures (48.9, 54.4, 60.0, 65.6, or 71.1°C) and batch oven relative humidities (50 or 90 % ). For all treatments, at least a 6.5-log reduction in Salmonella Typhimurium was achieved. The coliform counts were also substantially reduced for both hams and rounds. Across all treatments for both products, S. aureus toxin production was not detected. The relative humidity did not alter the lethality effectiveness for any of the treatments. The final internal temperatures and relative humidity combinations used in this project achieved the lethality performance standard established by USDA-FSIS for fully cooked, ready-to-eat products.

Towards the molecular characterization of the stable producer phenotype of recombinant antibody-producing NS0 myeloma cells

The loss of heterologous protein expression is one of the major problems faced by industrial cell line developers and has been reported by several authors. Therefore, the understanding of the mechanisms involved in the generation of stable and high producer cell lines is a critical issue, especially for those processes based on long term continuous cultures. We characterized two recombinant NS0 myeloma cell lines expressing Nimotuzumab, a humanized anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antibody. The hR3/H7 clone is a stable producer obtained from the unstable hR3/t16 clone. The unstable clone was characterized by a bimodal distribution of intracellular immunoglobulin staining using flow cytometry. Loss of antibody production was due to the emergence of a non-producer cell subpopulation that increased with cell generation number. Immunoglobulin heavy chain (HC) and light chain (LC) ratio (HC/LC) was lower for the unstable phenotype. Proteomic maps using two dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) were obtained for both clones, at initial cell culture time and after 40 generations. Fifteen proteins potentially associated with the phenomenon of production stability were identified. The hR3/H7 stable clone showed an up-regulated expression pattern for most of these proteins. The regulation of recombinant antibody production by the host NS0 myeloma cell line most likely involves simultaneously cellular processes such as DNA transcription, mRNA processing, protein synthesis and folding, vesicular transport, glycolysis and energy production, according to the proteins identified in the present proteomic study.

Clinical management of small cell carcinoma of the urinary tract (SCCUT): A single-center experience

216

Background: SCCUT is a rare but aggressive condition. No standard treatment has been established. The management of small cell lung cancer has been adopted by analogy. We aim to review the clinical features, therapy and natural course of patients with SCCUT.

Methods: From 2002 to 2010 12 patients (pts) were diagnosed with SCCUT and treated at the Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona (Spain).

Results: The median age was 62 (50-78). Male to female ratio was 11:1. The primary disease was prostate in 6/12 (50%) of cases, urinary bladder in 5/12 (41.7%) and kidney in 1/12 (8.3%). Overall, 5 pts (41.7%) had limited disease (LD) and 7 (58.3%) had extensive disease (ED) at onset. Basal serum levels of Neuronal Specific Enolase (NSE) were determined in 6 pts. In all of them levels over the upper-limit were observed. Treatment information was available for 10 pts, 5 with LD and 5 with ED. LD pts received multimodal therapy. Surgery (S) was the initial treatment in 4 pts (80%), 3 of them additionally received adjuvant treatment either with platinum-based chemotherapy (C) (2 pts) or chemoradiation (1 pt). The remainder received neoadjuvant C followed by radical S. Prophylactic whole brain radiation (WBR) was administered in 1 pt. Median progression-free-survival (PFS) for pts with LD was 9.3 months (m) (2-22 months). Median overall survival (OS) was 26 m. Pts with ED mostly received palliative chemotherapy with platinum-etoposide (80%) while 1 pt underwent palliative radiotherapy as exclusive therapy. Response rate for C was 75%: 2/4 complete response, 1/4 partial response and 1/4 disease stabilization. Median PFS was 3.3 m. WBR was administered in 2 pts with ED, 1 of them with prophylactic intent. Median OS was 14 m for ED pts.

Conclusions: In our experience, SCCUT was more common among male pts and the prostate the most frequent primary site. Despite its chemosensitivity SCCUT showed an aggressive clinical course and poor prognosis in our series. SCCUT must be suspected in any genitourinary neoplasm of atypical or aggressive behavior. NSE serum levels may help to achieve an early diagnosis and to provide a proper systemic treatment up-front.

[Table: see text]

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Late-Onset Schizophrenia: a Case Report

Introduction

Late-onset psychoses are a heterogeneous group of disorders whose nosology has been controversial throughout history. Several methodological limitations have made difficult the comparison among studies and, as a consequence, the research interest has been little, leading to the absence of late-onset schizophrenia and paraphrenia in current official classifications.

Aims and methodology

To highlight the specific symptoms of late-onset schizophrenia as well as its differences with other psychoses though the study of a case report.

Results

A 70-year-old woman developed psychotic symptoms during the last seven years, consisting of auditory and olfactory hallucinations, telepathic phenomena and injury delusions, erotomania and thought control, with a high level of systematization and fantasy. She was admitted in an inpatient unit. She was treated with risperidone and the psychotic symptoms got better. At the time of hospital discharge, hallucinations and delusional thoughts had disappeared and no behavioral or emotional disorder was observed. Some weeks later, risperidone had to be substituted by paliperidone due to side effects, such as tremor, sialorrhea and parkinsonism.

Conclusions

Late-onset schizophrenic psychosis is not as exceptional as it has been traditionally considered. One of the main problems is that current classifications do not include specific diagnostic categories for cases of late or very-late-onset psychoses. It would be necessary that future ICD-11 and DSM-V classifications will include different-age criteria when diagnosing mental disorders.

Pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder: A case report

Introduction

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) in childhood was first described by Legrand du Saulle in late XIX century, however, a systematic study in pediatric population was not made until 1986, by Rapoport. It is has been documented in scientific literature that younger patients usually hide their symptoms because of shame or that they do not find their obsessions and compulsions excessive, so that they feel them in an egosyntonic way, delaying diagnosis until several years after their first symptoms.

Aims and methodology

To highlight the specific symptoms in Pediatric OCD and review its treatment and approach through the study of a case report.

Results

A 11-year-old boy was referred by his paediatrician to a child mental outpatient service for behavioural disturbances in the last few months. For the last three years, he had been performing rituals of cleaning, order and checking, increasingly complex and with a significant impact on his life, to the point of not being able to go to school and have other members of his family involved. He also had religious and catastrophic obsessions that generated him important distress. He was treated with high doses of sertraline and low doses of risperidone, and cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy with exposure response prevention and training in relaxation techniques were associated to the treatment. The patient improved partially.

Conclusions

This case illustrates the delay in the diagnosis of Pediatric OCD itself as well as the complexity when treating this disorder.

Psychoactive substance abuse and personality disorders in psychiatric inpatients

Introduction

Comorbidity between Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and other psychiatric disorders, known as Dual Diagnosis, is an issue of growing interest in Mental Health. The high association between Personality Disorders (PD) and substance use is reported in scientific literature. However, not many studies have been published regarding the prevalence of this disorder in a psychiatric unit. AIMSTo determine the prevalence of substance abuse among patients with a Personality Disorder in a psychiatric unit.

Methodology

A retrospective descriptive study was carried out among all patients admitted to our psychiatric unit during one year. The data collected from the discharge clinical records of patients were: demographic variables, personal psychiatric history and substance use, urine tests and clinical diagnoses at discharge.

Results

We obtained a sample of 334 patients. There was comorbidity between Mental Disorder and SUD in 10.17% of subjects; including 4% diagnosed with Personality Disorder (80% belong to Cluster B). 53.3% of patients with PD substance abuse was reported. Excluding nicotine dependence and benzodiazepines, the most common substances used were cannabis (50%), alcohol (37.5%) and cocaine (25%).

Conclusions

This study shows that Personality Disorder is the Mental Disorder most commonly associated with SUD, among inpatients in our psychiatric unit. In order to detect cases of Dual Diagnosis, we suggest optimize recording in clinical history substance use and systematic urine tests in all patients admitted, which would benefit from specific treatment for their condition.

Abstract P3-11-07: Multivitamin Use and Breast Cancer Prognosis and Survival in a Prospective Cohort Study: The Life After Cancer Epidemiology (LACE) Study

Background: Compared to healthy populations, breast cancer patients are more frequent users of multivitamins (57-62% compared to 38% in NHANES 1999-2000), yet no studies to date have examined the association between multivitamin use and breast cancer outcomes. Material and Methods: Women primarily from the Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) Cancer Registry diagnosed from 1997 to 2000 with early stage primary breast cancer (Stage I ≥1 cm, II, or IIIA), were age 18 to 70 years at study enrollment, and completed breast cancer treatment entered the LACE cohort on average two years post-diagnosis. Information on multivitamin (MV) use since breast cancer diagnosis (including duration and frequency) and five years before diagnosis (ever or never use ≥3 times/wk for ≥1 year), as well as demographic and other lifestyle factors, were collected from a mailed questionnaire. Tumor and treatment characteristics were obtained from the KPNC Cancer Registry and clinical databases. Outcomes, including recurrence and all-cause mortality, were ascertained yearly by mailed questionnaire and verified by medical record review. Recurrence was defined as local/regional and distant disease, new contralateral breast cancer, and breast cancer death if no previous recurrence was recorded. All-cause death included death from any cause. Among 2,240 women, 363 recurrences, 202 breast cancer deaths, and 372 overall deaths were confirmed as of 7 May 2010. Delayed entry Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), adjusting for age at diagnosis, positive nodes, stage, treatment, and hormone receptor status in the recurrence models, with further adjustment for smoking history, physical activity, diet, and race/ethnicity in the mortality models. Follow-up began at date of study entry and ended at date of first cancer recurrence or death, depending on the analysis, or were censored at date of last contact for women with no event.

Results: 49% and 65% reported using MV with minerals (MVM) and 13% and 19% MV without minerals (MVNM), pre-and post-diagnosis, respectively. Compared to never use, ever use of MVM after diagnosis was associated with decreased risk of recurrence (HR = 0.80; 95% CI: 0.65-1.00) and breast cancer death (HR = 0.71; 95% CI: 0.53, 0.95). Continual use of MVM from pre-to post-diagnosis at least 3 times/wk compared to never use was associated with decreased risk of recurrence (HR = 0.69; 95% CI: 0.53, 0.89) and breast cancer death (HR = 0.58; 95% CI: 0.41, 0.82), and possibly limited to women who had radiation therapy. An inverse trend of increasing frequency of post-diagnosis MVM use up to 6-7 d/wk with decreasing risk of recurrence (p=0.07) and death (p=0.04) was observed; a similar trend of increasing duration up to ≥12 months with decreasing risk of breast cancer death (p=0.04), but not recurrence (p=0.17), was apparent. No associations were found for MVM and overall mortality, and MVNM and all endpoints.

Conclusion: Multivitamin use appears to be beneficial in decreasing a woman's risk of breast cancer recurrence and death. Funded by NCI R01 CA129059

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2010;70(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-11-07.

Long-term follow-up of patients with type 1 diabetes transplanted with neonatal pig islets

Pancreas transplantation is an option to achieve better metabolic control and decrease chronic complications in patients with diabetes. Xenotransplantation becomes an important alternative. In this study, we show the clinical outcome of patients with type 1 diabetes transplanted with neonatal pig islets without immunosuppression. In a longitudinal study of 23 patients with type 1 diabetes, who received porcine islets between 2000 and 2004, we registered demographic and clinical characteristics every 3 months and chronic complications evaluation yearly. Porcine C-peptide was measured in urine samples under basal conditions and after stimulation with l-arginine. More than 50% were female, median current age was 20·8 years, median diabetes duration at transplantation 5·5 years, median current diabetes duration 11 years and median time post-transplantation 5·7 years. Their media of glycosylated haemoglobin reduced significantly after the first transplantation. Insulin doses remain with a reduction greater than 33% in more than 50% of the patients. Before transplantation, 14 of the 21 patients presented mild chronic complications and currently only two patients presented these complications. Porcine C-peptide was present in all urine samples under basal conditions and increased post-stimulation with l-arginine. These patients achieved an excellent metabolic control after the first transplantation. This could explain, as well as the remaining function of transplanted cells, the low frequency of chronic complications compared to patients with similar diabetes duration and age.

Dietary lipid sources and vitamin E affect fatty acid composition or lipid stability of breast meat from Muscovy duck

A trial was conducted in order to assess the fatty acid composition and lipid stability of breast meat from Muscovy ducks (Cairina moschata domestica L.) fed a basal diet supplemented with 20 g kg-1 of soybean oil or fish oil and 30 or 230 mg kg-1 α-tocopheryl acetate (α-TA). A total of 120 one-day-old female muscovy ducklings were distributed over 12 pens (10 birds/pen). Growth performance traits were measured through the study. Each dietary treatment was randomly administered to three replicates when birds were 43 d until the slaughtering age of 66 d. Dietary treatments did not induce differences in growth performances and slaughter traits. Similarly, proximate composition and pH of breast muscle were not influenced by the diets. Significant increases in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) contents in breast meat of ducks fed fish-oil-supplemented diets was observed. Lipid oxidation, expressed as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), of breast meat from birds fed 230 mg kg-1 α-TA-supplemented diets was significantly lower, compared with those fed diets supplemented with 30 mg kg-1 α-TA, both 1 and 7 d after slaughter.Key words: Duck, meat, fatty acid, vitamin E, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances

Validation of a washing and sanitizing procedure for cantaloupes at a mexican packing facility

In-plant validation of an alternative washing and sanitizing method was conducted at a cantaloupe packing operation in Mexico. This method consisted of a spray water wash followed by spraying warm (55 to 60 degrees C) 2% (L)-lactic acid solution and was compared with the existing method of spray washing the melons with tap water followed by immersion in a chlorinated water tank. Surface samples (100 cm(2)) were collected from 160 melons subjected to each processing method and tested for counts of aerobic bacteria, coliforms, and Escherichia coli. The aerobic plate counts from cantaloupes washed in the dump tank ranged from 3.6 to 5.2 log CFU/cm(2) and were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than those from melons treated with the alternative spray method, which ranged from 1.8 to 2.6 log CFU/cm(2). Coliform counts for cantaloupes treated in the dump tank were 0.2 to 2.2 log CFU/cm(2) and were below the detection level (-6.0 log CFU/cm(2)) on cantaloupes treated by the spray method. Growth of E. coli was observed in 2.5% of the samples of cantaloupes treated in the dump tank and in none of the samples of cantaloupes treated by lactic acid spray (P < 0.05). These results support the elimination of dump tanks in cantaloupe packing operations established by the Mexican government for certification of firms exporting cantaloupes to the United States. When a sanitizer is to be applied to the product, lactic acid seems to be a viable option, at least for products such as cantaloupes whose quality is not affected by an acid wash.

The Prognostic Significance of Functional Limitations among Women with Breast Cancer

Background:With the aging of the population, functional limitations are a growing burden among women with breast cancer. The prognostic impact of functional status among breast cancer survivors is not well understood.Methods:A total of 2270 women diagnosed with breast cancer between 1997 and 2000, and followed in the prospective cohort study, Life after Cancer Epidemiology (LACE) were included. Information on functional limitations, health behaviors, anthropometric and demographic factors was self-reported by participants at enrollment. Tumor characteristics, treatment and outcomes were ascertained from medical records.Associations between functional limitations and survival from all causes, breast cancer specific causes and competing causes were analyzed with delayed entry Cox proportional hazards regression.Results:Thirty-nine percent of the cohort reported one or more limitations at study entry. Compared to women without functional limitations (n=1,345), those with one or more limitations (n = 857) were proportionately more likely to be elderly, less educated and more obese (all p&lt;.0001). Over a mean follow-up of 7 years, breast cancer survivors with functional limitations had higher overall crude mortality than their counterparts with no limitations [137 (50.9%) versus 132 (49.1%) respectively, p&lt;.0001]. When covariates were taken into account, the presence of functional limitations was associated with deaths from all causes [hazard ratio (HR)=1.39, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.06-1.83] and those from competing causes (HR=2.60, 95%CI 1.69-3.98) but not with breast cancer specific deaths (HR=.90, 95%CI .71-1.14).Conclusion:More breast cancer cases with functional limitations die of competing causes than of breast cancer. Interventions aimed at regaining physical function should lead to improvements in life expectancy in this population.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(24 Suppl):Abstract nr 2067.

Alcohol Consumption and Breast Cancer Recurrence and Survival among Women with Early-Stage Breast Cancer

Purpose: To describe alcohol consumption and examine its association with breast cancer recurrence and mortality in the Life After Cancer Epidemiology (LACE) study, a prospective cohort study of early-stage breast cancer survivors.Methods: Patients included 1897 participants diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer between 1997 and 2000 and recruited primarily from the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Cancer Registry. Alcohol consumption (beer, wine, and liquor) was assessed at cohort entry using a food frequency questionnaire. A total of 349 breast cancer recurrences and 332 overall deaths were ascertained after an average follow-up of 5.93 years. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals.Results: A total of 958 women (51%) were considered drinkers (&gt;0.5 g of alcohol per day), and the majority drank wine (90%), followed by liquor (43%), and beer (36%). Drinking ≥6 g/day of alcohol compared to minimal or no drinking (≤0.5 g/day) was associated with an increased risk of breast cancer recurrence (HR = 1.34; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.82) and death (HR = 1.51; 95% CI: 1.00, 2.28). The increased risk of recurrence appeared to be greater among postmenopausal (P for trend = .03) and overweight or obese women (P for trend = .03). No associations were observed for risk of overall mortality and alcohol use.Conclusions: Consuming 3 to 4 alcoholic drinks or more per week might be related to an increased risk of breast cancer recurrence, particularly among postmenopausal and heavier women, regardless of other prognostic factors. While additional prospective studies are needed, these observations suggest that after a breast cancer diagnosis, women should consider limiting their consumption of alcohol.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(24 Suppl):Abstract nr 17.

The neuroprotective effect of cannabidiol in an in vitro model of newborn hypoxic-ischemic brain damage in mice is mediated by CB(2) and adenosine receptors

To investigate the mechanisms involved in cannabidiol (CBD)-induced neuroprotection in hypoxic-ischemic (HI) immature brain, forebrain slices from newborn mice underwent oxygen and glucose deprivation in the presence of vehicle, or CBD alone or with selective antagonists of cannabinoid CB(1) and CB(2), and adenosine A(1) and A(2) receptors. CBD reduced acute (LDH efflux to the incubation medium) and apoptotic (caspase-9 concentration in tissue) HI brain damage by reducing glutamate and IL-6 concentration, and TNFalpha, COX-2, and iNOS expression. CBD effects were reversed by the CB(2) antagonist AM630 and by the A(2A) antagonist SCH58261. The A(1A) antagonist DPCPX only counteracted the CBD reduction of glutamate release, while the CB(1) antagonist SR141716 did not modify any effect of CBD. In conclusion, CBD induces robust neuroprotection in immature brain, by acting on some of the major mechanisms underlying HI cell death; these effects are mediated by CB(2) and adenosine, mainly A(2A), receptors.

The epidemiology of herpes zoster in patients with invasive cancer

9562

Background: Given the limited available data, the aim of this study was to estimate the incidence of Herpes Zoster (HZ) in cancer patients. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we used the Kaiser Permanente Northern California cancer registry to identify adult health plan members diagnosed with an invasive hematologic malignancy (HM) or solid tumor malignancy (STM) during 2001–2005. Potential episodes of HZ were ascertained from time of cancer diagnosis through 2006 from electronic databases using inpatient and outpatient diagnoses, laboratory tests, and prescriptions for antivirals. HZ diagnoses were confirmed by abstraction and clinical review of information from patients' inpatient and outpatient medical records. Incidence rates were calculated as the number of new occurrences of HZ per person-time of follow-up. Age-standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were computed to compare HZ rates in cancer patients to reported rates in the general population (Yawn et al, 2007). Results: Among the 4,728 STM patients (mean age 66 years, range 18–102), the rate of HZ was 12/1000 person years (py) of follow-up (total 9170 py). Among the 1504 HM patients (mean age 67 years, range 18–97), the rate of HZ was 33/1000 py (total 2355 py). The SIRs and 95% confidence intervals for STM and HM were 1.7 (1.4–2.1) and 4.5 (3.5–5.6), respectively. Among patients with HM, incidence rates were highest in the first year after cancer diagnosis (40/1000 py); rates did not appear to vary markedly over time among patients with STM. For either cancer type, HZ rates were similar for males and females and did not increase consistently with increasing age. Conclusions: Compared to the general population, the incidence of HZ was nearly 2 times higher in patients with STM and over 4 times higher in patients with HM. HZ rates did not differ markedly by age or gender.

[Table: see text]

Human papillomavirus detected in female breast carcinomas in Japan

To investigate the aetiological role of human papillomavirus (HPV) in breast cancer, we examined the presence, genotype, viral load, and physical status of HPV in 124 Japanese female patients with breast carcinoma. Human papillomavirus presence was examined by PCR using SPF10 primers, and primer sets targeting the E6 region of HPV-16, -18, and -33. The INNO-LiPA HPV genotyping kit was used to determine genotype. Human papillomavirus DNA was detected in 26 (21%) breast carcinomas. The most frequently detected HPV genotype was HPV-16 (92%), followed by HPV-6 (46%), HPV-18 (12%), and HPV-33 (4%). In 11 normal epithelium specimens adjacent to 11 HPV-16-positive carcinomas, 7 were HPV-16-positive. However, none of the normal breast tissue specimens adjacent to HPV-negative breast carcinomas were HPV-positive. The real-time PCR analysis suggested the presence of integrated form of viral DNA in all HPV-16-positive samples, and estimated viral load was low with a geometric mean of 5.4 copies per 10(4) cells. In conclusion, although HPV DNA was detected in 26 (21%) breast carcinomas and, in all HPV-16-positive cases, the HPV genome was considered integrated into the host genome, their low viral loads suggest it is unlikely that integrated HPV is aetiologically involved in the development of Japanese breast carcinomas that we examined.