Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Seroprevalence and Ultrasound-Diagnosed Uterine Fibroids in a Large Population of Young African-American Women

Bacterial Vaginosis and Prospective Ultrasound Measures of Uterine Fibroid Incidence and Growth

BACKGROUND

Uterine fibroids often cause intolerable symptoms leading to invasive treatments, most commonly hysterectomy. Reproductive tract infections are hypothesized to influence uterine fibroid development, but few studies exist, especially for the highly prevalent condition bacterial vaginosis (BV). Both fibroids and BV have documented racial-ethnic disparities, with higher burden in Blacks.

METHODS

With prospective data from a community-based study (four standardized ultrasound examinations over 5 years) in young Black women, we examined baseline BV associations with fibroid incidence and growth. We computed adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for incidence comparing BV and no BV (Nugent score ≥7 vs. <7) using Cox proportional hazards models among 1027 women fibroid-free at baseline. Fibroid growth associations were based on linear mixed models estimating volume change between ultrasounds indexed to 18 months. We then expressed BV association as estimated percent difference in growth per 18 months, comparing exposed and unexposed.

RESULTS

There were n = 247 incident fibroids and 1181 growth measures; average fibroid growth per 18 months was a 78% (95% CI: 69 to 87) increase in volume. BV prevalence was 51% and not associated with fibroid incidence (aHR: 1.0, 95% CI: 0.80 to 1.4) or growth (estimated % difference in growth, -3% (95% CI: -12 to 6).

CONCLUSIONS

In this first study (to our knowledge) of ultrasound-monitored fibroid development and Nugent-assessed BV, we found no evidence to support the hypothesis that BV increased risk of fibroid incidence or growth or BV's role in the high burden of fibroids in Black women.

Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Seroprevalence and Incidence and Growth of Ultrasound-Diagnosed Uterine Fibroids in a Large Population of Young African-American Women

Reproductive tract infections have long been hypothesized to be risk factors for development of uterine fibroids, but few studies have investigated the issue. In our 2016 cross-sectional analysis from the Study of Environment, Lifestyle and Fibroids (2010-2018), a large Detroit, Michigan, community-based cohort study of 23- to 35-year-old African-American women with ultrasound fibroid screening, we found no association between a very prevalent reproductive tract infection, herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), and fibroids. With prospective data from the cohort (ultrasounds performed every 20 months over 5 years), we examined HSV-2's associations with fibroid incidence (among 1,208 women who were fibroid-free at baseline) and growth (among women with fibroids at baseline or diagnosed during the study). Using Cox proportional hazards models, we computed adjusted hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for fibroid incidence comparing HSV-2-seropositive women with HSV-2-seronegative women. The influence of HSV-2 infection on growth was assessed on the basis of the difference in fibroid size between successive ultrasounds (1,323 growth measures) using a linear mixed model, estimating the percent difference in growth scaled to 18 months. HSV-2 seropositivity was not associated with fibroid incidence (adjusted hazard ratio = 0.88, 95% confidence interval: 0.69, 1.12) or growth (estimated growth difference = 3.1%, 95% confidence interval: -5.8, 13.0). Women can be reassured that HSV-2 infection is unlikely to increase their risk of fibroid-related health problems, given these longitudinal measures.

Mycoplasma genitalium and Bacterial Vaginosis-Associated Bacteria in a Non-Clinic-Based Sample of African American Women

BACKGROUND

Mycoplasma genitalium is associated with adverse reproductive problems. However, prevalence estimates from studies that screen women not seeking care are rare. Studies have reported co-occurrence of M. genitalium with bacterial vaginosis (BV), but no prior study of specific BV-associated bacteria has been conducted in African Americans whose reproductive tract infection burden is high.

METHODS

Using quantitative polymerase chain reaction, we screened vaginal swabs for M. genitalium, 9 BV-associated bacteria, and 4 Lactobacillus species from 200 participants drawn from a cohort of African Americans 23 to 35 years old. Sexual history, herpes serostatus, and Nugent score had been assessed. Prevalence of M. genitalium was computed. The associations of other vaginal bacteria with M. genitalium were examined with binomial regression.

RESULTS

M. genitalium prevalence was 18%. Detection and quantity of 2 BV-associated bacteria were significantly associated with a higher prevalence of M. genitalium (Leptotrichia/Sneathia: detection prevalence ratio (PR) of 2.9 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.1-7.7] and quantity PR of 1.2 [95% CI, 1.0-1.3]; Megasphaera phylotype 1: detection PR of 2.2 [95% CI, 1.2-4.2] and quantity PR of 1.1 [95% CI, 1.0-1.2]). Increased quantity of L. iners was also positively associated with M. genitalium (PR, 1.3 [95% CI, 1.0-1.8]). Nugent ≥7, herpes serostatus, and lifetime number of sex partners were not associated with M. genitalium.

CONCLUSIONS

Specific BV-associated microbes and L. iners were associated with M. genitalium, but Nugent ≥7 was not. Studies are needed to confirm a high prevalence of M. genitalium in African Americans and to understand its interactions with other vaginal bacteria.

Herpes simplex virus: global infection prevalence and incidence estimates, 2016

Objective

To generate global and regional estimates for the prevalence and incidence of herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1 and type 2 infection for 2016.

Methods

To obtain data, we undertook a systematic review to identify studies up to August 2018. Adjustments were made to account for HSV test sensitivity and specificity. For each World Health Organization (WHO) region, we applied a constant incidence model to pooled prevalence by age and sex to estimate the prevalence and incidence of HSV types 1 and 2 infections. For HSV type 1, we apportioned infection by anatomical site using pooled estimates of the proportions that were oral and genital.

Findings

In 2016, an estimated 491.5 million people (95% uncertainty interval, UI: 430.4 million–610.6 million) were living with HSV type 2 infection, equivalent to 13.2% of the world’s population aged 15–49 years. An estimated 3752.0 million people (95% UI: 3555.5 million–3854.6 million) had HSV type 1 infection at any site, equivalent to a global prevalence of 66.6% in 0–49-year-olds. Differing patterns were observed by age, sex and geographical region, with HSV type 2 prevalence being highest among women and in the WHO African Region.

Conclusion

An estimated half a billion people had genital infection with HSV type 2 or type 1, and several billion had oral HSV type 1 infection. Millions of people may also be at higher risk of acquiring human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), particularly women in the WHO African Region who have the highest HSV type 2 prevalence and exposure to HIV.

Uterine Leiomyoma and Reproductive Tract Infections Detected by Polymerase Chain Reaction

Background and Objective:

For nearly a century, it has been suspected that reproductive tract infections play an etio- logic role in uterine leiomyoma. However, no epidemiologic study of leiomyoma has used the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to compare uterine tissues from cases and non-cases, and to investigate associations between uterine leiomyoma and infections detected by PCR.

Methods:

In this case-control study, 92 leiomyoma tissues from cases, and 94 myometrial tissue from controls were screened by PCR for cytomegalovirus, Chlamydia trachomatis, herpes simplex virus-1, 2, and human papillomavirus typed as 16/18 or another strain. Multivariable analysis used age-adjusted logistic regression, and generalized linear regression as appropriate.

Results:

In the uterine tissues of cases and unmatched controls, the prevalence of infection was: cytomegalovirus (32.6%, 7.4%), C. trachomatis (23.9%, 37.2%), herpes simplex virus-1,2 (25.0%, 13.8%), human papillomavirus 16/18 (13.0%, 10.5%). Leiomyoma was associated with cytomegalovirus (Odds Ratio (O.R.) 6.10; 95% confidence interval (C.I.), 2.40, 15.55) and Chlamydia (O.R. 0.47; 95% C.I. 0.23, 0.97). Likewise, the log count of leiomyoma was higher

with cytomegalovirus (+0.65, 95% C.I. +0.34, +0.95) and lower with Chlamydia (-0.71, 95% C.I. -1.12, -0.29).

Conclusion:

This first application of PCR to leiomyomata and control uterine tissues from non-cases reveals that cytomegalovirus is associated with the presence, number, and volume of uterine leiomyoma, while C. trachomatis is inversely associated with leiomyoma, but only in the absence of cytomegalovirus. Current findings provide preliminary evidence that common reproductive tract infections contribute to the growth and control of at least some cases of uterine leiomyoma.

Factors targeting MED12 to drive tumorigenesis?

Mediator Complex Subunit 12 (MED12) is part of the transcriptional preinitiation machinery. Mutations of its gene predominantly occur in two types of highly frequent benign tumors, uterine leiomyomas and fibroadenomas of the breast, where they apparently act as driver mutations. Nevertheless, their presence is not restricted to benign tumors having been found at considerable frequencies in uterine leiomyosarcomas, malignant phyllodes tumors, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia also. Most of the mutations are located within exon 2 of the gene but in rare cases the intron 1/exon 2 boundary or exon 1 are affected. As to their type, predominantly single nucleotide exchanges with a hotspot in one codon are found, but small deletions clustering around that hotspot also are not uncommon. These latter deletions are leaving the open reading frame intact. As to the types of mutations, so far no apparent differences between the tumor entities affected have emerged. Interestingly, this pattern with small deletions clustered around the hotspot of single nucleotide exchanges resembles that seen as a result of targeted gene editing. In contrast to other driver mutations the percentage of MED12-mutation positive tumors of independent clonal origin increases with the number of tumors per patient suggesting unknown etiological factors supporting site specific mutagenesis.  These factors may act by inducing simultaneous site-specific double strand breaks the erroneous repair of which may lead to corresponding mutations. As inducers of DNA damage and its repair such as foreign nucleic acids of the microbiome displaying sequence homology to the putative target site might play a role. Interestingly, a 16 base pair homology of the hotspot to a putative terminator base-paired hairpin sequence of a Staphylococcus aureus tRNA gene cluster has been noted which might form R-loop like structures with its target sequence thus inducing said changes.

Chlamydia trachomatis Seroprevalence and Ultrasound-Diagnosed Uterine Fibroids in a Large Population of Young African-American Women

Reproductive tract infections have long been hypothesized to increase the risk of uterine fibroids. Few studies have been conducted, even for the common infection genital Chlamydia trachomatis (gCT), and only with self-reported gCT data. Our investigation used micro-immunofluorescence serology for gCT to characterize past exposure. We used cross-sectional enrollment data from a prospective fibroid study carried out in the Detroit, Michigan, area; ultrasound examinations systematically screened for fibroids. Participants were African-American women aged 23-34 years (recruited in 2010-2012). Age- and multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios. A total of 1,587 women (94% of participants) had unequivocal gCT serology results; 22% had fibroids. Those who were seropositive for gCT were less likely to have fibroids (age-adjusted odds ratio = 0.68, 95% confidence interval: 0.54, 0.87; multivariable-adjusted odds ratio = 0.80, 95% confidence interval: 0.62, 1.03). Inverse associations were similar across categories of fibroid size, number, and total volume. Participant groups likely to have had multiple or severe infections (multiple serovar groups, more sex partners, clinically diagnosed chlamydia) all showed statistically significantly reduced odds of fibroids. A protective association of gCT with fibroids was unexpected but plausible. gCT infection might increase immune surveillance and eliminate early lesions. Further investigation on the relationship between fibroid development and reproductive tract infections is needed.