Relationships between Common and Novel Interleukin-6 Gene Polymorphisms and Risk of Cervical Cancer: a Case-Control Study.

We investigated the association between six common and novel interleukin-6 (IL-6) polymorphisms with the risk of cervical cancer (CC) among Tunisians. Study subjects comprised 112 CC cases and 164 control women. Genotyping of IL-6 rs2069845, rs2069840, rs1474348, rs1800795, rs1800797, rs2069827 variants was done by real-time PCR, with defined clusters. The allelic and genotypic distributions of the tested IL-6 SNPs were comparable between CC patients and control women. Stratification according to FIGO staging revealed that rs1800795 homozygous major allele genotype (P = 0.033; OR =0.49(0.25-0.95)) and major allele (P = 0.037; OR = 0.57 (0.33-0.97)) were protective of CC. Moreover, carriage of rs1474348 major allele was also protective of CC (P = 0.014; OR = 0.53(0.32-0.88)), while higher rs1474348 minor allele frequency was seen in CC patients with early FIGO stage (P = 0.044; OR = 0.39 (0.15-1.00)), thus implicating rs1474348 in CC evolution and progression of angiogenesis. Haploview analysis demonstrated high linkage disequilibrium (LD) between rs2069845, rs2069840, rs1474348 and rs1800795, and 6-locus haplotype analysis identified GACCCA haplotype to be positively associated with increased CC, while GAGGGG haplotype was negatively associated with CC, thus suggesting a protective role for this haplotype in CC. Furthermore, there was a significant association between the incidence of CC and the use hormonal contraception (P = 0.047; OR = 1.97 (0.94-4.13)) and smoking (P < 0.001; OR = 7.12 (2.97-17.04)). The IL-6 variants rs1800795 and rs1474348, and haplotypes GACCCA and GAGGGG, along with use of hormonal contraceptives and smoking, are major risk factors of CC susceptibility and evolution among Tunisian women.

Effect of Follicle Stimulating Hormone Receptor Gene Polymorphisms in Cervical Cancer Risk.

For the first time in the word, we investigated the association between five FSHR polymorphisms with the risk of cervical cancer among Tunisians. Study subjects comprised 112 Cervical Cancer (CC) patients and 164 control women. Genotyping of FSHR rs6166, rs1007541, rs11692782, rs2055571 and rs1394205 variants was done by realtime PCR, with defined clusters. The allelic distributions of the tested FSHR SNPs were comparable between CC patients and control women. In contrast, the heterozygous genotype of rs1007541 was associated with 1.8-fold increased risk of CC. Stratification according to FIGO staging revealed that the minor allele of rs1007541 was more frequent among advanced tumor stage patients, with 11-fold increased risk of CC [P < 0.0001; OR (95 % CI) = 11.32 (7.46-17.18)]. However, no significant allelic association was revealed in the rest of analyzed FSHR SNPs. Haploview analysis showed high Linkage disequilibrium (LD) between rs2055571 and rs1394205. Haplotype analysis revealed a lack of association between cases and controls. However, analysis of CC patient subgroups demonstrated enrichment of GGTAG haplotype in early tumor stage [P = 0.025; OR (95 % CI) = 0.07 (0.01-0.70)]. The FSHR variants and haplotypes may be a genetic markers for CC susceptibility and evolution among Tunisian women.

Characterisation of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis isolated from animals with yersiniosis during 1996-2013 indicates the presence of pathogenic and Far Eastern strains in Italy.

Yersinia pseudotuberculosis is a pathogen that infects both animals and humans worldwide. The epidemiology of infection caused by Y. pseudotuberculosis is poorly understood; however, its outbreaks have been traced back to a probable source in wildlife. This study aimed to characterise Y. pseudotuberculosis isolates collected from animals with yersiniosis. This study included 90 isolates of Y. pseudotuberculosis collected from different animals with yersiniosis between 1996 and 2013 in Italy. The isolates were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility and were biotyped. Genes associated with virulence plasmid pYV and those encoding O-antigen, high pathogenicity island (HPI), and superantigenic toxin (YPM) were determined by performing PCR. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was performed using NotI and SpeI enzymes, and 3 dendrograms were generated. No antibiotic resistance was found. The presence of pYV was shown in 57 out of 90 isolates. Virulence profiles of majority of the isolates indicated that they belonged to O:1a and O:1b serotypes, biotype 1, and genetic type 2. Isolates belonging to O:2a serotype were detected in sheep and cattle and were found to be associated (for the first time) with septicemia in hares. Y. pseudotuberculosis isolates belonging to O:5a and O:12-O13 serotypes were also detected in hares. To our knowledge, this is the first study to detect Y. pseudotuberculosis isolates belonging to the O:12-O13 serotype from a clinical case in Europe. Results of PFGE indicated that it was a reliable method for investigating the genetic relatedness of Y. pseudotuberculosis isolates. Thus, characterisation of Y. pseudotuberculosis infection in animals should be considered a possible tool for the surveillance of pseudotuberculosis.

Clostridial co-infection episodes in commercial laying hens.

The present report describes two outbreaks of serious enteritis in commercial laying hens where Clostridium perfringens and Clostridium colinum were simultaneously detected. At the age of 44 and 31 weeks, two laying hen flocks showed an increase of the mortality rate and a worsening of productive performance. Post-mortem examination revealed intestinal necrotic-haemorrhagic ulcerations and hepatic focal necrosis. The bacteriological examination yielded the isolation of C. colinum and C. perfringens toxin type A, NetB positive. In one outbreak, C. colinum was detected also by polymerase chain reaction in all the intestines of affected birds. In laying hens, C. colinum has never been isolated but only suspected as the causative agent of a slight enteric disease called duodenal focal necrosis. The present case report was characterized by severe enteritis presumably due to the synergistic effect of C. colinum and C. perfringens.

[Prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection amongst immigrants entering prison]. / Prevalencia de infección tuberculosa latente en población inmigrante que ingresa en prisión.

OBJECTIVE: To study the prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and the predictive factors amongst immigrants entering prison. METHODS: prospective study conducted in May and June of 2009. The tuberculin skin test (TST) was performed, with induration of ≥ 10 mm being regarded as positive. Variables collected were: age, origin, number of incarcerations, length of time living in Spain, heroin and cocaine consumption, intravenous drug use and HIV infection. The rate of LTBI was calculated and the overall infection rate (ITL and history of TB). To study predictable factors, a bivariant and multivariant analysis were carried out using logistic regression. RESULTS: 152 male immigrants. Average age: 31.9 years ± 7.8; 37.2% of them with heroin or cocaine consumption and 7.5% IDU. 12 patients were previously TST positive and 6 patients had history of TB. TST was performed on 134 people, 63 with positive results and 71 with negative ones. ITL rate: 49.3. Overall infection rate: 53.3%. Bivariate associated with LTBI: more than one incarceration (67.4% vs. 36.4% in primary, p=0.001), age (76% ≥ 40 vs. 40.4% under this age and heroin and cocaine consumption (60% consumers vs. 39.3% non consumers; p=0.02. Multivariate analysis only confirmed the association with age (p=0.001; OR: 2.34, IC=1.39-3.94). CONCLUSIONS: The LTBI rate amongst immigrants entering prison is very high. A complete study is recommended for all of them, with special attention being paid to the most vulnerable ones, such as older people.

Prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection in inmates recently incarcerated in a men's prison in Barcelona.

OBJECTIVE: To study the prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in prisoners. METHODS: Among inmates admitted to a men's preventive detention prison in Barcelona during May-June 2009, without a previous positive tuberculin skin test (TST), a ≥ 10 mm TST was considered positive (5 mm in human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] infected persons). A multivariate logistic regression was performed, calculating odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: A total of 221 individuals were included. The average age was 33.5 years (± 8.9 SD); 61.6% were foreigners and 45.2% were heroine and/or cocaine users; 40.3% had LTBI. The infection was associated with age >40 years (OR 3.10, 95%CI 1.51-6.35) and having been born in Eastern Europe (OR 4.3, 95%CI 1.4-12.8), North Africa (OR 2.2, 95%CI 1.01-4.7), sub-Saharan Africa (OR 7.6, 95%CI 1.3-44) or Latin America (OR 3.8, 95%CI 1.5-9.3). Subjects infected with HIV had a lower risk of a positive TST (OR 0.22, 95%CI 0.04-1.07). Only 31 (14%) did not present any of these risk factors, and 8 (25.8%) had LTBI. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of LTBI was very high in this study, and systematic screening of all inmates at the time of entry into the prison is therefore recommended. Excluding those who do not fall in any of the high-risk prevalence groups from the evaluation complicates the screening and is not very effective.

Prevalence, disease associations and risk factors for colonization with intestinal spirochaetes (Brachyspira spp.) in flocks of laying hens in north-eastern Italy.

The present study investigated the occurrence of anaerobic intestinal spirochaetes of the genus Brachyspira in laying hen flocks in Treviso province, north-eastern Italy, with respect to prevalence, spirochaete species present, disease associations and risk factors for colonization. A total of 450 faecal samples from 45 sheds on 29 laying hen farms were cultured for intestinal spirochaetes. Nineteen sheds on 12 farms contained chickens with symptoms consistent with avian intestinal spirochaetosis, including reduced egg production, wet litter and/or pasty vents. Spirochaetes were isolated from 157 (34.8%) samples from 21 (72.4%) farms, and from 32 (71.1%) sheds. From these positive samples, 189 spirochaetal isolates were speciated using three polymerase chain reaction assays and a restriction fragment polymorphism analysis of 16S rDNA polymerase chain reaction products. Overall, 52 (27.5%) isolates were identified as pathogenic Brachyspira intermedia, 26 (13.8%) as pathogenic Brachyspira pilosicoli, 93 (49.7%) as non-pathogenic (Brachyspira innocens/Brachyspira murdochii), and 18 (9.6%) were unidentified. Faeces from 14 sheds (31%) on 10 farms (34.5%) contained B. intermedia and/or B. pilosicoli, and disease consistent with avian intestinal spirochaetosis was observed in nine of these sheds on seven farms. There was a significant association (P=0.042) between the presence of spirochaetes and using deep pits rather than conveyor belts for manure disposal. Sheds housing chickens >40 weeks of age were significantly more likely to contain spirochaetes (P=0.048) and pathogenic species (P=007) than sheds housing younger chickens. A significant association (P=0.02) was found between infection with pathogenic spirochaetes and reduced egg production.

Development of a polymerase chain reaction assay for specific identification of Clostridium colinum.

Clostridium colinum is the causative agent of ulcerative enteritis, a serious disease of the bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) and sporadically of young chickens. The aim of the present study was to develop a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay specific for C. colinum identification. The 16S rDNA sequence of C. colinum was analysed and two species-specific primers were designed. The specificity of these primers was tested with closely related Clostridium species and the expected amplified product (935 base pairs) was observed only with DNA from samples containing C. colinum. Results from performing PCR assays on faecal samples from quails spiked with different concentrations of C. colinum, showed that the detection limit of the assay was 1.6 x 10(4) colony-forming units per gram of faecal material. This PCR assay can be used in diagnostic laboratories to confirm the presence of C. colinum in pure cultures and could be used to screen enriched samples or faecal samples for the presence of this pathogen.

[Skin response to phytohemagglutinin in patients with typhoid fever, bronchial asthma and Hodgkin's disease]. / Respuesta cutánea a fitohemaglutinina en pacientes con fiebre tifoidea, asma bronquial y enfermedad de Hodgkin.

The skin response to phytohemagglutinin was investigated as an index of cellular immunity in group of 50 children made up of 11 with thypoid fever, 13 with bronchial asthma type I, 15 with Hodgkin's disease and 11 controls. A mild but statistically significant (p less than 0.005) depression was found in the skin response of patients with typhoid fever and moderate in patients with Hodgkin's disease. In patients with bronchial asthma, it was similar to control cases; thus, in the future, finer parameters are considered necessary in these cases to investigate cellular immunity.