Prevalence and genotype screening of human papillomavirus among women attending a private hospital in Northern Cyprus: an 11-year retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted pathogen both in men and women. Accumulating epidemiological evidence supports a strong association between HPV infection and cancer of the cervix, vulva, vagina, anus, and penis. Currently, data on the HPV prevalence and genotyping is lacking in Northern Cyprus, a region in which HPV vaccination is not freely accessible via the national immunization program. The aim of this study was to evaluate the HPV type-specific prevalence in women with and without cytological abnormalities living in Northern Cyprus. METHODS: A total of 885 women who presented to the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics Clinic between January 2011 and December 2022 were included in the study. Samples were collected for cytology. Cervical specimens were investigated for the presence of HPV-DNA and genotyping of HPV was performed using real-time polymerase chain reaction (rtPCR). Cytological examination was interpreted according to the Bethesda system. RESULTS: Among all patients, overall high-risk HPV DNA prevalence was 44.3%. HPV-16 and HPV-18 positivity was found in 10.4% and 3.7% of women respectively, while other high-risk HPV (OHR-HPV) was the most frequent type of HPV (30.2%). The highest frequency of HPV infection was observed in the 30-55 age group (51.0%), followed by the < 30 age group (45.7%). Co-infection with two or more HPV types was observed in 17.0% of all positive samples, in which the prevalence of HPV-16 + HPV-18 was 2.3%, HPV-16 + OHR-HPV and HPV-18 + OHR-HPV was 12.0% and 5.1%, respectively. Among the screened patients, 37.5% had abnormal and 62.5% had normal cytology results. HR-HPV positivity was 65.7% and 34.0% in patients with abnormal and normal cytology. The highest incidence of HRC-HPV was OHR-HPV types (44.7%) in positive cytology cases. Among women with a cytology result of ASCUS, L-SIL, H-SIL and unspecified dysplasia, 52.1%, 67.6%, 97.5% and 75.6% were respectively infected with HR-HPV. CONCLUSION: The present study provides the latest epidemiological data related to HPV prevalence and genotype distribution among women living in Northern Cyprus. Considering the unavailability of free vaccination in the community, it is imperative to implement local HPV screening programs and provide guidelines on HPV prevention and measures during early school education.

Long-COVID-19 in Asymptomatic, Non-Hospitalized, and Hospitalized Populations: A Cross-Sectional Study.

A substantial proportion of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) survivors continue to suffer from long-COVID-19 (LC) symptoms. Our study aimed to determine the risk factors for LC by using a patient population from Northern Cyprus. Subjects who were diagnosed with severe acute respiratory syndrome-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in our university hospital were invited and asked to fill in an online questionnaire. Data from 296 survivors who had recovered from COVID-19 infection at least 28 days prior the study was used in the statistical analysis. For determination of risk factors for "ongoing symptomatic COVID-19 (OSC)" and "Post-COVID-19 (PSC)" syndromes, the patient population was further divided into group 1 (Gr1) and group 2 (Gr2), that included survivors who were diagnosed with COVID-19 within 4-12 weeks and at least three months prior the study, respectively. The number of people with post-vaccination SARS-CoV-2 infection was 266 (89.9%). B.1.617.2 (Delta) (41.9%) was the most common SARS-CoV-2 variant responsible for the infections, followed by BA.1 (Omicron) (34.8%), B.1.1.7 (Alpha) (15.5%), and wild-type SARS-CoV-2 (7.8%). One-hundred-and-nineteen volunteers (40.2%) stated an increased frequency of COVID-19-related symptoms and experienced the symptoms in the week prior to the study. Of those, 81 (38.8%) and 38 (43.7%) were from Gr1 and Gr2 groups, respectively. Female gender, chronic illness, and symptomatic status at PCR testing were identified as risk factors for developing OSC syndrome, while only the latter showed a similar association with PSC symptoms. Our results also suggested that ongoing and persistent COVID-19-related symptoms are not influenced by the initial viral cycle threshold (Ct) values of the SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV-2 variant as well as vaccination status and type prior to COVID-19. Therefore, strategies other than vaccination are needed to combat the long-term effect of COVID-19, especially after symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, and their possible economic burden on healthcare settings.

Identification of genetic biomarkers in urine for early detection of prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer screening is a challenging and vital issue in the aspects of the current tests and risk assessments. Prostate cancer risk assessments are currently carried out by using blood, urine and tissue biomarkers with radiological imaging methods. Here, we introduce a novel noninvasive screening tool for a further in-depth selection of eligible cases for prostate biopsies which is based on sequencing somatic and hereditary HOXB13 mutations in urine samples. This approach provides diagnostic information to the physician about the presence of prostate cancer while aiming to screen for specific prostate biopsies and save biopsies potentially when there are no mutations related to prostate cancer. Findings suggest that this method is reliable, cost-effective, and has a promising potential in prostate cancer screening.

Evaluation of the prevalence of sexually transmitted bacterial pathogens in Northern Cyprus by nucleic acid amplification tests, and investigation of the relationship between these pathogens and cervicitis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of pathogens, Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhea and Trichomonas vaginalis, Mycoplasma hominis, Mycoplasma genitalium, Ureaplasma urealyticum, and Ureaplasma parvum in women via multiplex-polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cervical swabs of 273 women in reproductive age who underwent gynecologic examination in our outpatient clinic were evaluated using the multiplex-PCR-DNA method. The presence of cervicitis, contraceptive methods, marital status, and the number of partners were evaluated. RESULTS: One hundred six (39%) of the 273 women had at least one bacterium, 25 women (9.8%) had two bacteria, and three women (1%) had three bacteria. U. urealyticum was the most frequently encountered bacterium (13.9%), followed by M. hominis (12.8%), U. parvum (12.4%), C. trachomatis (5.4%), M. genitalium (2.9%), N. gonorrhea (2.5%), and T. vaginalis (0.3%). Bacterial infection was detected more frequently in women aged <25 years, single, who had multiple partners, and clinically diagnosed with cervicitis. The cervicitis rate was 39% in our study. M. genitalium was significantly more frequent in women with cervicitis than in women without cervicitis (5.6 vs. 1.2%, p=0.005). C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhea, which are often associated with cervicitis, were comparable in women with and without cervicitis. CONCLUSION: Women with clinically diagnosed cervicitis or even with a normal-appearing cervix should be tested using multiplex-real-time PCR-nucleic-acidamplification tests on suspicion of such an infection. M. genitalium is an emerging bacterial agent for cervicitis along with C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhea.

Leishmaniasis in northern Cyprus: Human cases and their association with risk factors.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Cyprus is located in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Region where leishmaniasis is endemic. The primary objective of this study was to investigate human visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in the northern region of Cyprus where presence of canine leishmaniasis (CanL) and sandflies has been documented in earlier studies. The secondary objective was to assess the association of leishmaniasis with demographic and epidemiological variables. METHODS: Intravenous blood samples were collected from 249 volunteers in Kyrenia district (located in the northern coastal region of Cyprus). Whole blood samples were tested for DNA of Leishmania spp by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), while serum samples were analyzed using direct agglutination test (DAT) and rK39 test. For evaluation of possible risk factors, a questionnaire was applied to the participants. RESULTS: Only three (1.2%) of 249 participants were found seropositive by DAT (n = 2) or rK39 test (n = 1). The remaining samples were negative in serology, and no PCR positivity was detected in any of the 249 participants. Seven individuals, including the seropositive cases, had a history of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). Seropositivity and CL were not significantly related with gender (M/F: 40.2/59.8%), age [Mean: 42.85 ± 17.45, Median: 40 (7-86)], occupation (Indoor/Outdoor: 84.7/12.9%), dog ownership (52.6%), and CanL history (5.3%). However, a statistical association was found between seropositivity and past CL infection. Also, a significant relation was observed between participants living in peripheral area (63.1%) and CL infection. Furthermore, leishmaniasis awareness (28.1%) among the study population was statistically correlated with past CL infection and dog ownership. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the presence of leishmaniasis and highlight the need for implementation of efficient control measures on the northern coast of Cyprus.

Health-promoting lifestyle behaviours in pregnant women in Turkey.

This study aims to describe the health-promoting lifestyle behaviours of pregnant women. The study was carried out with pregnant women who applied to the polyclinics in different maternity and children hospitals located in Adana, Turkey, between 1 March and 30 May 2009. The data collection tools used in the study were (i) a questionnaire that was used to collect sociodemographic data from the participants and (ii) the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP II). The results obtained from the study showed that total HPLP II scores were moderate; the highest scores were obtained on the spiritual growth dimension and the lowest scores on the physical activity dimension. Pregnant women with older age, those with a higher educational level, those with a better socioeconomic status and those living in a nuclear family were found to be more likely to have health-promoting lifestyles. Health promotion and healthy lifestyle need to be an integral part of health services provided for pregnant women. Midwives and nurses have prominent roles in encouraging pregnant women to engage in health-promoting behaviours.