Human papillomavirus genotyping on Reunion Island: A cross-sectional study of stored tissue samples.

OBJECTIVE: We aim to illustrate and evaluate the prevalence and distribution pattern of cervical human papilloma virus (HPV) genotypes on La Réunion Island, a French overseas territory, with the aim to guide future vaccination policies. STUDY DESIGN: Between January 2008 and July 2012, files of women undergoing gynaecological examination were retrospectively evaluated at the University Hospital, Reunion Island. Inclusion criteria required cervical biopsies with histopathological diagnosis of high-grade lesions or cancer and ASCUS Pap Smears (atypical squamous cells undetermined significance) results. The INNO-LIPA HPV Genotyping Extra® test was used for HPV genotyping. RESULTS: A total of 401 ASCUS Pap Smears and 94 cervical biopsies were analyzed, of which 162 smears and 63 biopsies were HPV DNA positive (40.4 % and 67 % respectively). Detailed breakdowns of HPV genotype-specific distribution reported prevalence of HPV 16, 31, 33, 51 and 52. Of the 63 HPV-positive biopsies, 61 (96.8 %) contained at least one HPV genotype that is contained in the 9-valent HPV vaccine. The incremental preventable fraction of HPV infections that could have been added by the new 9-valent vaccine to the current bivalent vaccine was estimated at 26.2 %. CONCLUSIONS: Immunization with 9-valent vaccine should be effective, and in the long term, may reduce cervical cancer incidence in Reunion Island. Nevertheless, vaccination rates and coverage need to be maintained and improved.

Aging and glycation promote erythrocyte phagocytosis by human endothelial cells: Potential impact in atherothrombosis under diabetic conditions.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Atherothrombotic plaques of type 2 diabetic (T2D) patients are characterized by an increased neovascularization and intraplaque hemorrhage. The clearance of erythrocytes may be carried out by vascular cells. We explored the potential of human endothelial cells to bind and phagocyte in vitro aged and/or glycated erythrocytes as well as erythrocytes obtained from diabetic patients. METHODS: Fresh, aged and glycated-aged erythrocytes from healthy volunteers and T2D patients were tested for their binding and phagocytosis capacity as well as the potential functional consequences on endothelial cells (viability, proliferation and wound healing capacity). Immunohistochemistry was also performed in human carotid atherothrombotic samples (from patients with or without T2D). RESULTS: Aging and glycation of erythrocytes induced phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure and oxidative stress leading to enhanced endothelial cell binding and engulfment. Phagocytosis by endothelial cells was more pronounced with aged and glycated erythrocytes than with fresh ones. Phagocytosis was enhanced with T2D versus healthy erythrocytes. Furthermore, endothelial wound healing potential was significantly blunted after exposure to glycated-aged versus fresh erythrocytes. Finally, we show that interactions between erythrocytes and endothelial cells and their potential phagocytosis may occur in vivo, in atherothrombotic conditions, in neovessels and in the luminal endothelial lining. CONCLUSIONS: Endothelial cells may play an important role in erythrocyte clearance in an atherothrombotic environment. Under diabetic conditions, erythrocyte glycation favors their engulfment by endothelial cells and may participate in endothelial dysfunction, thereby promoting vulnerable atherothrombotic plaques to rupture.

Amplified fragment length polymorphism and multilocus sequence analysis-based genotypic relatedness among pathogenic variants of Xanthomonas citri pv. citri and Xanthomonas campestris pv. bilvae.

Three pathogenic variants (i.e. pathotypes) have been described within Xanthomonas citri pv. citri, the causal agent of Asiatic citrus canker. Pathotype A strains naturally infect a wide range of Citrus species and members of some related genera. In contrast, pathotypes A* and A(w) have narrow host ranges within the genus Citrus and have been isolated from Mexican lime (Citrus aurantifolia L.) and from Mexican lime and alemow (Citrus macrophylla L.), respectively. We used amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) based on four partial housekeeping gene sequences (atpD, dnaK, efp and gyrB ) for the genotypic classification of Xanthomonas citri pv. citri and the poorly characterized citrus pathogen Xanthomonas campestris pv. bilvae. A Mantel test showed that genetic distances derived from AFLP and MLSA were highly correlated. X. campestris pv. bilvae showed a close relatedness to the type strain of X. citri, indicating that this pathovar should be reclassified as X. citri pv. bilvae. All pathotype A* and A(w) strains were most closely related to X. citri pv. citri strains with a wide host range (pathotype A), confirming previous DNA-DNA hybridization data. Pathotype A(w) should be considered a junior synonym of pathotype A* on the basis of pathogenicity tests, AFLP, MLSA and PCR using pathovar-specific primers. Evolutionary genome divergences computed from AFLP data suggested that pathotype A* (including A(w) strains) is a group of strains that shows a wider genetic diversity than pathotype A.