Association between late age at infectious mononucleosis, Epstein-Barr virus antibodies, and ovarian cancer risk

Detection and Genotyping of Human Papillomavirus (HPV16/18), Epstein–Barr Virus (EBV), and Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) in Endometrial Endometroid and Ovarian Cancers

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between human papillomavirus (HPV16/18), Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infections and the occurrence of ovarian cancer in 48 women, of whom 36 underwent surgery and chemotherapy (group A), 12 in whom surgery was sufficient (group B), and 60 with endometroid endometrial cancer stage G1-G3 (group C), compared to patients in whom the uterus and its appendages were removed for nononcological reasons (control group). The detection of HPV, EBV, and HCMV in tumor tissue and normal tissue was performed using the real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique. A statistically significantly higher risk of endometrial cancer was noted in patients infected only with HCMV (OR > 1; p < 0.05). In contrast, a significantly higher risk of ovarian cancer in group A was associated with HPV16, HPV18, and EBV (OR > 1; p < 0.05); a significantly higher risk of ovarian cancer in group B was associated with HPV18 and HMCV (OR > 1; p < 0.05). The obtained results suggest that HCMV infection is associated with the development of a stage of ovarian cancer when treatment can be completed with surgery alone. Meanwhile, EBV appears to be responsible for the development of ovarian cancer in more advanced stages.

Antibodies as biomarkers for cancer risk: a systematic review

Increasing evidence has linked the humoral immune response with the development of various cancers. Therefore, there is growing interest in investigating the predictive value of antibodies to assess overall and tissue site-specific cancer risk. Given the large amount of antibody types and the broad scope of the search (i.e. cancer risk), the primary aim of this systematic review was to present an overview of the most researched antibodies (i.e. immunoglobulin (Ig) isotypes (IgG, IgM, IgA, and IgE), tumour and self-antigen-reactive antibodies, infection-related antibodies) in relation to overall and site-specific cancer risk. We identified various antibody types that have been associated with the risk of cancer. While no significant associations were found for IgM serum levels, studies found an inconsistent association among IgE, IgA, and IgG serum levels in relation to cancer risk. When evaluating antibodies against infectious agents, most studies reported a positive link with specific cancers known to be associated with the specific agent recognized by serum antibodies (i.e. helicobacter pylori and gastric cancer, hepatitis B virus and hepatocellular carcinoma, and human papillomavirus and cervical cancer). Several reports identified autoantibodies, as single biomarkers (e.g. anti-p53, anti-MUC1, and anti-CA125) but especially in panels of multiple autoantibodies, to have potential as diagnostic biomarkers for specific cancer types. Overall, there is emerging evidence associating certain antibodies to cancer risk, especially immunoglobulin isotypes, tumour-associated antigen-specific, and self-reactive antibodies. Further experimental studies are necessary to assess the efficacy of specific antibodies as markers for the early diagnosis of cancer.

Will SARS-CoV-2 Become Just Another Seasonal Coronavirus?

The future prevalence and virulence of SARS-CoV-2 is uncertain. Some emerging pathogens become avirulent as populations approach herd immunity. Although not all viruses follow this path, the fact that the seasonal coronaviruses are benign gives some hope. We develop a general mathematical model to predict when the interplay among three factors, correlation of severity in consecutive infections, population heterogeneity in susceptibility due to age, and reduced severity due to partial immunity, will promote avirulence as SARS-CoV-2 becomes endemic. Each of these components has the potential to limit severe, high-shedding cases over time under the right circumstances, but in combination they can rapidly reduce the frequency of more severe and infectious manifestation of disease over a wide range of conditions. As more reinfections are captured in data over the next several years, these models will help to test if COVID-19 severity is beginning to attenuate in the ways our model predicts, and to predict the disease.

Association of Human Papilloma Virus and Epstein-Barr Virus with Ovarian Cancer in Shiraz, Southwestern Iran

Background & Objective:

Ovarian cancer is one of the most common cancers amongst women. The association of Human papillomavirus (HPV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) with ovarian cancer is inconclusive; therefore, the aims of this study were to evaluate the frequency of HPV and EBV in malignant, borderline, benign and normal ovarian tissues.

Methods:

In this case-control study, 205 Paraffin-embedded ovarian tissue specimens including 68 malignant, 27 borderline, 65 benign, and 45 normal tissues were included from December 2014 to January 2018 and subjected to DNA extraction. The β-globin gene was amplified using PCR to confirm the quality of the extracted DNA. The genomes of HPV (genotypes 16 and 18) and EBV were identified, using specific primers by PCR.

Results:

The mean age of participants was 43.42 ± 15.4 years. The frequency of HPV was statistically significant between malignant versus benign (P=0.02) and control groups (P=0.002), but not with borderline tumor group (P=0.78). Amongst HPV infected samples, 1 (4.5%) and 14 (63.6%) samples were infected with types 16 and 18, respectively. Also 4 (18.2 %) samples were infected with both genotypes. Eleven samples including 7(10.3%) malignant, 1 (3.7%) borderline, 3 (4.6%) benign and none (0%) of normal control groups were infected with EBV, which was statistically different between malignant and the normal control group (P=0.03).

Conclusion:

The results of our study showed the possible role of high risk HPVs as well as EBV in pathogenesis of ovarian cancer, and further studies are recommended to confirm these findings.

Factors in Oncogenesis: Viral Infections in Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer (OC) is one of the leading causes of cancer death in women, with high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) being the most lethal gynecologic malignancy among women. This high fatality rate is the result of diagnosis of a high number of new cases when cancer implants have already spread. The poor prognosis is due to our inadequate understanding of the molecular mechanisms preceding ovarian malignancy. Knowledge about the site of origination has been improved recently by the discovery of tube intraepithelial cancer (TIC), but the potential risk factors are still obscure. Due to high tumoral heterogeneity in OC, the establishment of early stage biomarkers is still underway. Microbial infection may induce or result in chronic inflammatory infection and in the pathogenesis of cancers. Microbiome research has shed light on the relationships between the host and microbiota, as well as the direct roles of host pathogens in cancer development, progression, and drug efficacy. While controversial, the detection of viruses within ovarian malignancies and fallopian tube tissues suggests that these pathogens may play a role in the development of OC. Genomic and proteomic approaches have enhanced the methods for identifying candidates in early screening. This article summarizes the existing knowledge related to the molecular mechanisms that lead to tumorigenesis in the ovary, as well as the viruses detected in OC cases and how they may elevate this process.

The prevalence of EBV and CMV DNA in epithelial ovarian cancer

Background

The underlying cause of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is unknown. It has been theorized that infectious agents could contribute to ovarian tumorigenesis.

Objective

To investigate the potential role of oncogenic viral infection in EOC, we examined the prevalence of Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) DNA and cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA in EOC tissue samples.

Methods

Formalin-fixed, paraffin-imbedded (FFPE) tumor tissue samples from 198 patients included in the Danish Pelvic Mass Study were studied: 163 with serous adenocarcinomas, 15 with endometrioid adenocarcinomas, 11 with mucinous adenocarcinomas, and nine with clear-cell carcinomas. For controls in the EBV analysis, we used 176 tissue samples from patients diagnosed with benign mucinous cystadenomas. EBV and CMV genotyping was performed by real-time polymerase chain reaction with CMV and EBV CE-IVD approved kits. In-situ hybridization (ISH) was performed on the EBV positive samples.

Results

Sufficient DNA material was obtained in 191 and 174 tissue samples from cases and controls, respectively. Ten of 191 case samples (5.2%) and one of 174 control samples (0.5%) were positive for EBV DNA (P value = 0.011). CMV DNA was detected in only one case sample (0.5%). ISH confirmed that three of the samples were of stromal origin, while the remaining seven tested negative for EBV.

Conclusions

This study is the first to demonstrate a higher prevalence of EBV DNA in tissue samples from patients with EOC than in a benign control group. However, the cellular origin of seven of the samples could not be determined by ISH analysis. Our study did not support an association between CMV and EOC.

Human cytomegalovirus in high grade serous ovarian cancer possible implications for patients survival

Patients diagnosed with high grade serous ovarian adenocarcinoma have a poor prognosis. Recently human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) has been detected in several tumors. Here, we evaluated HCMV in ovarian cancer tissue specimens obtained at pre- and postchemotherapy tumor resection.Available paraffin embedded ovarian cancer tissues from matched pre- and postchemotherapy tumor resection specimens (i.e., diagnostic excisional biopsy prechemotherapy; DEBPC) and neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by interval debulking surgery (NACT + IDS) from 10 patients with stage IIIC-IV high grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGS) diagnosed between years 2007 and 2008 at Karolinska University Hospital were examined for HCMV immediate-early protein (HCMV-IE), tegument protein pp65, and nucleic acid (β2.7) by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization.HCMV-IE and pp65 were detected in 8/10 (80%), 4/9 (44%) and in 4/10 (40%), 5/8 in ovarian cancer tissue specimens from DEBPC and NACT + IDS, respectively. HCMV-β2.7 was detected in all available tissue sections obtained from DEBPC and NACT + IDS. Patients with HCMV-IE or pp65 positive cells in their ovarian tumors at IDS after NACT had a median overall survival of 23.4 and 18.2 months, respectively, compared to 29.6 and 54 months, respectively, in those who did not express HCMV proteins in their tumors.In conclusion, HCMV proteins and nucleic acids are frequently detected at different levels in HGS ovarian carcinoma. Despite the limitation of our study, shorter median overall survival of patients with HCMV-IE and pp65 in their tumor highlights the need to further investigate the role of HCMV in ovarian cancer patients.

Papel de las enfermedades infecciosas en el desarrollo de la esclerosis múltiple: evidencia científica

Introducción

La esclerosis múltiple (EM) es el trastorno inflamatorio más común del sistema nervioso central (SNC) y la causa principal de discapacidad neurológica en adultos jóvenes. Los factores ambientales e infecciosos han sido fuertemente asociados al incremento de la ocurrencia de la enfermedad, hasta más del doble, en los últimos 10 años. En este artículo de revisión se describen los principales hallazgos reportados sobre la relación entre ciertas infecciones virales y bacterianas con la aparición y progresión de la EM.

Métodos

Se realizó un plan metodológico de búsqueda de artículos científicos relacionados con infección y EM, mediante la búsqueda de artículos científicos, principalmente publicados en inglés, en las plataformas virtuales de Pubmed, Medline y Cochrane. Para la búsqueda se utilizaron como palabras claves (términos MeSH): «virus, bacteria, autoimmune disease of the nervous system, multiple sclerosis». Se eligieron artículos publicados en revistas indexadas durante los últimos 15 años.

Resultados

Estudios epidemiológicos sugieren que la EM tiene un componente etiológico infeccioso que origina un proceso inflamatorio que puede contribuir a la iniciación o exacerbación de la enfermedad. Particularmente, la infección viral y los eventos de desmielinización en el SNC puede deberse a la penetración de un virus como el virus Epstein-Barr (EBV), a través del torrente sanguíneo, específicamente hacia el SNC. Por otro lado, las infecciones bacterianas crónicas pueden causar procesos de desmielinización en el SNC que agravan la enfermedad de EM.

Conclusiones

Este estudio contribuye a aportar evidencia científica donde se demuestra la multicausalidad implicada en la ocurrencia de la EM. Aún falta desarrollar más estudios epidemiológicos que demuestren y comprueben la relación y la implicación de agentes virales y bacterianos en el origen, el desarrollo y la severidad de la enfermedad.

Genitourinary manifestations of epstein-barr virus infections

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is best known as the organism responsible for the syndrome of acute infectious mononucleosis. Transmission of EBV most commonly occurs through oral secretions. EBV has also been isolated from the female genital tract, where its role is poorly understood. This article reviews the available literature and data regarding EBV in the female genital tract and discusses areas of consensus and controversy. The primary manifestation of EBV seems to be vulvar ulcers, which are underrecognized. Diagnosis relies on appropriate serologic testing. Management includes local care and may require pain and corticosteroid medications. Although EBV is present elsewhere in the female genital tract, its pathogenic role in the cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries is poorly understood.

An evolutionary perspective on parasitism as a cause of cancer

For the past half-century, the dominant paradigm of oncogenesis has been mutational changes that disregulate cellular control of proliferation. Parasitic causes of cancer were first incorporated into this paradigm by suggesting mechanisms through which parasitism might increase mutational damage, such as generation of mutagenic compounds during immunological activity. The growing recognition of the molecular mechanisms of pathogen-induced oncogenesis and the difficulty of generating oncogenic mutations without first having large populations of dysregulated cells, however, suggests that pathogens, particularly viruses, are major initiators of oncogenesis for many if not most cancers, and that the traditional mutation-driven process becomes the dominant process after this initiation. Molecular phylogenies of individual cancers should facilitate testing of this idea and the identification of causal pathogens.