DENTAL CLINICS: A RESERVOIR FOR HEPATITIS C VIRUS.

Nosocomial transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is well established, however the role of dental care in HCV transmission has been speculated but particularly difficult to quantify. This study investigated the potential for nosocomial transmission of HCV in dental clinics in a high HCV prevalence, middle-income country.  Dental health care workers (DHCWs) in 13 clinics in 3 cities were invited to participate. After informed consent was obtained, the DHCWs were asked to provide a blood sample to test for anti-HCV and complete a questionnaire that included questions on risk behaviors. A second sample of dental clinics was recruited to conduct environmental testing for HCV RNA. Among the 244 DHCWs invited to participate in the study, 196 (80.3%) enrolled including 115 doctors, 49 nurses and 32 dental residents. The seroprevalence of anti-HCV among DHCWs was 4%. Of the 46 private dental clinics invited to participate, 37 (80.4%) dental clinics agreed to allow the environmental study. Overall, 23 (62.2%) clinics had HCV RNA detected in at least one location. The most frequently contaminated location was the suction unit with HCV RNA retrieved from 14 (37.8%) clinics, followed by contaminated samples from the general dental room in 9 (24.3%) clinics. Given that HCV RNA can be viable for up to six weeks, without fastidious attention to infection control procedures, patients may be exposed to contaminated dental equipment and nosocomial transmission can occur.

GENOTYPIC DISTRIBUTION OF HPV AMONG WOMEN OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE IN GEORGIA.

Of the 100 types of human papillomaviruses (HPV), approximately 35 infect the genital tract. The viruses are categorized as "high risk" and "low risk" depending on whether they are known to cause cancer or not. Cervical cancer is an important cause of cancer mortality in Georgia, and worldwide. Only limited and incomplete data are available about the epidemiology of HPV infection and related molecular and cellular changes in Georgia. Objectives of our study included the estimation of the prevalence and the distribution of HPV genotypes among women in Georgia. The study participants were women (~2000) aged 18-49 years randomly selected during a clinic appointment with a gynecologist for a regular check-up at one of the women's consultation centers (WCC) participating in the study. Venous blood (5 ml) was drawn and the prevalence of HPV evaluated by the detection of the HPV DNA. For genotyping, HPV DNA were extracted from the cervical samples, amplified first by consensus and then by primer-specific PCR, followed by a detection step on agarose gel. Of the total samples, 250 were positive for HPV DNA; these were further tested to identify the specific HPV genotype. The genotype distribution was as follows: type 6, 98 women (39.2 %); type 16, 64 (25.6%); type 18, 47 (18.8%); type 33, 23 (9.2%); type 11, 27 (10.8%); type 45, 19 (7.6%); and type 66, 9 (3.6%). In 37 women (14.8%), we found coexistence of several different HPV genotypes. The HPV genotypic profile among Georgian women is similar to data generated from studies conducted among the populations in other European countries. Presence of the subset of HPV genotypes not covered by quadrivalent anti-HPV vaccine (types 33, 45 and 66) was demonstrated among Georgian women.

Transcriptional activity and ultrastructure of morphologically different types of nucleoli isolated from hepatocytes of normal and hepatectomized rats.

Morphologically different types of nucleoli were isolated from liver of normal and partially hepatectomized rats, to allow their ultrastructure and transcriptional activity to be precisely correlated. Transcriptional activity was estimated from the intensity of incorporation of [14C]-UTP during periods of maximal RNA-polymerase I activity. RNA synthesis in hepatocyte nucleoli was maximal at 6 and 22 h after partial hepatectomy. The changes in transcriptional activity coincided with changes in nucleolar ultrastructure. Pseudonucleolonemal nucleoli, in which the prominent nucleolonemal network has a large dense fibrillar component and a small granular part, were first seen 6 h after the operation and showed the highest transcriptional activity. After 22 h, a second peak of RNA synthesis was recorded. Nucleolar size had almost doubled, and most hepatocytes showed hypertrophy of the granular component, indicative of intensified pre-rRNA processing.