Preventing sexually transmitted infections: back to basics

Frequent Recurrences of Genital Herpes Are Associated with Enhanced Systemic HSV-Specific T Cell Response

Objectives

Genital herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection is controlled by HSV-specific T cells in the genital tract, and the role of systemic T cell responses is not fully understood. Thus, we analysed T cell responses in patients with recurrent genital herpes (GH).

Methods

T cell responses to HSV-1 and HSV-2 native antigens and the expression of HLA-DR and CD38 molecules on circulating CD8+ T cells were analysed in adults with high frequency of GH recurrences (19 patients) and low frequency of GH recurrences (7 patients) and 12 HSV-2 seronegative healthy controls. The study utilized the interferon-γ Elispot assay for measurement of spot-forming cells (SFC) after ex vivo stimulation with HSV antigens and flow cytometry for analysis of the expression of activation markers in unstimulated T cells.

Results

The patients with high frequency of GH recurrences (mean number of recurrences of 13.3 per year) had significantly enhanced HSV-specific T cell responses than the HSV-2 seronegative healthy controls. Moreover, a trend of higher numbers of SFC was observed in these patients when compared with those with low frequency of GH recurrences (mean number of recurrences of 3.3 per year). Additionally, no differences in CD38 and HLA-DR expression on circulating CD8+ T cells were found among the study groups.

Conclusions

Frequency of GH recurrences positively correlates with high numbers of systemic HSV-specific T cells.

The risk of human papillomavirus infection for male fertility abnormality: a meta-analysis

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted virus in males and females worldwide; yet its impact upon male fertility remains unclear. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential impact of HPV infection in semen on male fertility abnormality. A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed, Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library database for relevant publications up to May 6, 2017. The odds ratio (OR), and its corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI), was selected to represent the effect size. Statistical analysis was conducted using STATA 12.0. In total, eight articles, providing data on 1955 participants, were included in this meta-analysis. Collectively, the data suggested that HPV infection of semen was a risk factor for male fertility abnormality with an OR of 3.02 (95% CI: 2.11-4.32; I² = 6.9%). Sensitivity analysis revealed that the results of this study were robust. In conclusion, HPV infection of semen represents a risk factor for male fertility abnormality.

Investigation of human papillomavirus prevalence in married women and molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of the virus

Objective

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are among the agents responsible for infection and cancer of the skin and mucous membranes in the human body. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency and type distribution of HPVs in married female patients with gynecological complaints, who had visited the Maternity Hospital in Erzurum, Turkey.

Methods

In this study, 263 cervical swab samples were taken from married women using the Pap smear method and were investigated for positive reactivity against HPV. The L1 gene region of HPV was investigated using molecular methods. For this purpose, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays and sequence analysis of positive samples were performed. Phylogenetic analyses were performed using a bioinformatics approach after sequencing.

Results

HPV-DNA was detected in 17 (6.5%) samples. Highest positive reactivity to HPV-DNA was found in the 35–44 age group at 9.2%. Fourteen out of seventeen positive samples were included in the phylogenetic analysis. All isolates clustered in the Alphapapillomavirus genus. Six samples were found to be HPV 70 positive, four were HPV 16 positive, and the rest were HPV 54, 72, 81, and 114 positive. When genotyping data were evaluated according to the risk group, we found that 28.6% of the 14 samples were found to be high risk-HPV, and 71.4% were low risk-HPV.

Conclusions

As per our knowledge, this is the first report on the phylogenetic analysis of HPV genotypes isolated from women in Turkey. The prevalence of low- and-high risk HPV was determined in married women in Erzurum, and these results contribute to the epidemiological data on the distribution of HPV types for this region.

Benzathine penicillin G for the management of early syphilis among HIV co-infected persons: A systematic review

Background

The optimal treatment for syphilis in people who are human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive is controversial.

Objective

To assess the efficacy of three doses versus a single dose of long acting Benzathine Penicillin G (BP-G) for the effective management of early syphilis among HIV co-infected populations.

Methods

A systematic search of the published literature was conducted using MEDLINE and EMBASE databases to identify clinical and observational studies published between January 2010 and May 2015. Inclusion criteria were: publication in English or French, populations co-infected with HIV and early syphilis, treatment with BP-G and outcomes related to syphilis treatment. All articles underwent a risk of bias assessment and data extraction was completed on all included studies.

Results

Seven studies were eligible for final inclusion, data extraction and analysis. The evidence from the final included studies were from non-randomized controlled trials. In general, no significant differences were found between groups treated with one versus two or more doses of BP-G; but there was a trend toward longer time to treatment failure with three doses. Differences in methodology limit the ability to draw any firm conclusions on the relative efficacy between these two treatment regimens.

Conclusion

Insufficient data exist to ascertain whether or not there is an added benefit from additional doses of BP-G for the treatment of early syphilis with HIV co-infection. A high-quality, randomized controlled trial is needed to definitively nswer this question.

Dendrimeric based microbicides against sexual transmitted infections associated to heparan sulfate

Cell surface heparan sulfate (HS) represents a common link that many sexually transmitted infections (STIs) require for infection.

Prevalência de sinais e sintomas e conhecimento sobre doenças sexualmente transmissíveis

Objetivo Estimar a prevalência de sinais e sintomas de doenças sexualmente transmissíveis e verificar o conhecimento para essas infecções em adolescentes e jovens de um assentamento urbano. Métodos Estudo de corte transversal realizado em 105 assentados de 12 a 24 anos. Os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevista e analisados pelo Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, versão 17.0. Resultados Do total de participantes que responderam sobre Doenças Sexualmente Transmissíveis, 20,6% relataram algum sinal e/ou sintoma, com maior proporção em indivíduos do sexo feminino, que possuíam piercing e/ou tatuagem e consumiam álcool antes ou durante a relação sexual (p < 0,05). Também, muitos participantes apresentaram desconhecimento quanto os sinais e sintomas de Doenças Sexualmente Transmissíveis. Conclusão A presença de sinais e/ou sintomas de doenças sexualmente transmissíveis foi associado a fatores relacionados à vulnerabilidade individual dos adolescentes e jovens do assentamento.

Point of care diagnostics for sexually transmitted infections: perspectives and advances

Accurate and inexpensive point-of-care (POC) tests are urgently needed to control sexually transmitted infection epidemics, so that patients can receive immediate diagnoses and treatment. Current POC assays for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae perform inadequately and require better assays. Diagnostics for Trichomonas vaginalis rely on wet preparation, with some notable advances. Serological POC assays for syphilis can impact resource-poor settings, with many assays available, but only one available in the U.S. HIV POC diagnostics demonstrate the best performance, with excellent assays available. There is a rapid assay for HSV lesion detection; but no POC serological assays are available. Despite the inadequacy of POC assays for treatable bacterial infections, application of technological advances offers the promise of advancing POC diagnostics for all sexually transmitted infections.

Role of heparan sulfate in sexually transmitted infections

Cell surface heparan sulfate (HS), a polysaccharide composed of alternating uronic acid and glucosamine residues, represents a common link that many sexually transmitted infections (STIs) require for infection. Variable modifications within the monomeric units of HS chains together with their unique structural conformations generate heterogeneity, which expands the ability of HS to bind a diverse array of host and microbial proteins. Recent advances made in the field of glycobiology have critically enhanced our understanding of HS and its interactions with microbes and their significance in important human diseases. The role of HS has been elaborated for several STIs to include those caused by herpes simplex virus, human immunodeficiency virus, human papillomavirus, and Chlamydia. In addition, gonorrhea, syphilis, and yeast infections are also dependent on the presence of HS on human target cells. Critical steps such as pathogen adhesion or binding to host cells followed by internalization to enhance intracellular survival and possible spread to other cells are mediated by HS. In addition, HS guided cell signaling plays a role in the development of angiogenesis and inflammation associated with many STIs. Past and ongoing investigations are providing new push for the development of HS-mimetics and analogs as novel prevention strategies against many different STIs. This review article summarizes the significance of HS in STIs and describes how emerging new products that target HS can be used to control the spread of STIs.