Human papillomavirus infection: Epidemiology, biology, host interactions, cancer development, prevention, and therapeutics.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections worldwide. It is caused by the HPV, a DNA virus that infects epithelial cells in various mucous membranes and skin surfaces. HPV can be categorised into high-risk and low-risk types based on their association with the development of certain cancers. High-risk HPV types, such as HPV-16 and HPV-18, are known to be oncogenic and are strongly associated with the development of cervical, anal, vaginal, vulvar, penile, and oropharyngeal cancers. These types of HPV can persist in the body for an extended period and, in some cases, lead to the formation of precancerous lesions that may progress to cancer if left untreated. Low-risk HPV types, such as HPV-6 and HPV-11, are not typically associated with cancer but can cause benign conditions like genital warts. Genital warts are characterised by the growth of small, cauliflower-like bumps on the genital and anal areas. Although not life-threatening, they can cause discomfort and psychological distress. HPV is primarily transmitted through sexual contact, including vaginal, anal, and oral sex. It can also be transmitted through non-penetrative sexual activities that involve skin-to-skin contact. In addition to sexual transmission, vertical transmission from mother to child during childbirth is possible but relatively rare. Prevention of HPV infection includes vaccination and safe sexual practices. HPV vaccines, such as Gardasil and Cervarix, are highly effective in preventing infection with the most common high-risk HPV types. These vaccines are typically administered to adolescents and young adults before they become sexually active. Safe sexual practices, such as consistent and correct condom use and limiting the number of sexual partners, can also reduce the risk of HPV transmission. Diagnosis of HPV infection can be challenging because the infection is often asymptomatic, especially in men. In women, HPV testing can be done through cervical screening programs, which involve the collection of cervical cells for analysis. Abnormal results may lead to further diagnostic procedures, such as colposcopy or biopsy, to detect precancerous or cancerous changes. Overall, HPV infection is a prevalent sexually transmitted infection with significant implications for public health. Vaccination, regular screening, and early treatment of precancerous lesions are key strategies to reduce the burden of HPV-related diseases and their associated complications. Education and awareness about HPV and its prevention are crucial in promoting optimal sexual health. This study aimed to carry out a literature review considering several aspects involving HPV infection: Global distribution, prevalence, biology, host interactions, cancer development, prevention, therapeutics, coinfection with other viruses, coinfection with bacteria, association with head and neck squamous cell carcinomas, and association with anal cancer.

Molecular evolution of the human monkeypox virus.

Recently, in 2022, new cases of human monkeypox virus (hMPXV) occurred in Europe and North America. The first case was reported in Europe in May 2022, and subsequently, more than 50 000 new cases were confirmed in 100 countries. Currently, the classification of hMPXV according to the nextstrain occurs in five big clades (1A, A.1, A.2, A.1.1, and B.1). According to the resurgence of smallpox-like disease caused by hMPXV and the spread of the virus to the European and American continents, in the present study, we review and summarize the molecular evolution of the hMPXV, determining the molecular evolution of the main clades. A total of 442 hMPXV whole-genome sequences with available information from the country and sampling date (between October 2017 and 2022), were obtained and evaluated using the Bayesian method. The clade B.1 which is currently circulating was the most frequent (n = 415; 93.9%). The other clades presented the following frequencies: 1A (n = 13; 2.9%), A.1 (n = 10; 2.3%), A.2 (n = 3; 0.7%) and A.1.1 (n = 1; 0.2%) The overall nucleotide divergence of hMPXV was 5.590e-5. The 1A clade was detected between 2017 and 2020. A.1 was observed, and between 2019 and 2022 some A.2 sequences were detected. In 2022, the great predominance of B.1 was observed. The common ancestor of the hMPXV belongs to the clade 1A and the time to the Most Recent Common Ancestor (tMRCA) was 2017-04-04 (Highest Posterior Density 95% (HPD95%): 2017-03-09; 2017-08-04) on the West African continent. The tMRCA of A.1 was 2018-05-21 (HPD95%: 2018-05-20; 2018-07-04) with divergence of 6.885e-5 substitutions per site per year. This clade was of West African origin but was eventually detected in European countries. Also, A.2 was detected with sequences of North America and showed tMRCA of 2019-07-15 (HPD95%: 2018-11-18; 2020-02-24). A.1.1 showed tMRCA from 2021 to 06-05 (HPD95%: 2021-06-05; 2021-11-26) and this clade was detected in North America and was the precursor for the globally spreading B.1 which tMRCA was 2022-04-26 (HPD95%: 2022-02-27; 2022-04-26). hMPXV has been spread from West Africa to the United Kingdom, Israel, Singapore, the USA, Canada, Portugal, Spain, Ireland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Austria, the Republic Czech, Sweden, and Finland. hMPXV also reached countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Australia, and Taiwan. The common ancestor of the hMPXV belongs to the clade 1A with origin in the West African continent. Clade B.1 was responsible for the recent widespread worldwide. Immunization to prevent the spread of hMPXV is not yet available to the public, future studies should focus on the development of effective vaccines to contain the spread of this virus.

Hospital mortality rates between 2015 and 2022: a comparison between the pre-pandemic and pandemic period shows that COVID-19 is a critical health problem

Introduction: COVID-19 caused 6.2 million deaths in the world. The present study aims to evaluate hospital mortality rates from 2015 to 2022, to compare the pre and during the pandemic period.Methods: The study was carried out in a private hospital in southern Brazil. 174,013 hospital discharges between January 2015 and March 2022 were analyzed. Pearson's chi-squared test was performed to evaluate the mortality rate by year. Differences between mortality rates before and during the pandemic was tested with Student's t-test. P-values < 0.05 for all tests were considered significant.Results: Mortality rates were 2.29% in 2015; 2.37% in 2016; 2.25% in 2017; 2.31% in 2018; 2.46% in 2019; 3.45% in 2020; 3.58% in 2021 and 2.77% in 2022 (p< 0.01). The mortality for 2020 and 2021 was higher than in the other years (3.50% ± 0.14 vs 2.34% ± 0.05; p < 0.01).Conclusion: The mortality rates were significantly higher in the years 2020 and 2021, demonstrating that COVID-19 is a critical health problem.

COVID-19 pandemic in Southern Brazil: Hospitalizations, intensive care unit admissions, lethality rates, and length of stay between March 2020 and April 2022.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic spread rapidly with more than 515 million cases and 6.2 million deaths. Epidemiological factors are important for understanding the state of the pandemic. This study aims to evaluate the hospitalizations, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, and lethality from March 2020 to April 2022. Data were collected from a hospital in Porto Alegre city, southern Brazil. The Mann-Whitney, analysis of variance, and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare quantitative variables. Categorical variables were compared by Pearson's χ2 test. p values <0.05 for all tests were considered significant. Were observed 3784 hospitalizations. Males were 51.4% and the age was 60.4± 20.3. Intensive care unit (ICU) patients were 31.2%, the median length of stay (LOS) was 9.0 and lethality was 13.3%. ICU lethality was 34.5% versus 4.6% in other inpatients (p < 0.01). The LOS of ICU patients was 22.0 versus 7.0 in other inpatients (p < 0.01). The first peak (July-Novemebr 2020) showed ICU occupancy of 79.1%. The second peak (December 2020-June 2021) with 91.6% occupancy. The third peak January-March 2022 with 81.0% occupancy (p < 0.01). Lethality rates were 10.3% in 2020, 14.9% in 2021 and 15.4% in 2022 (p < 0.01). In conclusion, the ICU occupancy rate was higher in 2021 and the lethality rates of ICU patients were high during pandemic years (10.3% in 2020, 14.9% in 2021, and 15.2% in 2022). The lethality of these patients ranged from 25.0% in March to 21.8% in December 2020, from 20.9% in January 22.2% in Decemebr 2021, and 35.7% in January 2022 to 21.4% in April 2022. These data demonstrate that COVID-19 is a critical illness, even in a private hospital setting.

COVID-19: hypernatremia is a significant predictor of mortality

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic spread rapidly, creating a worrisome scenario worldwide. In hospitalized patients, dysnatremia (hyponatremia and/or hypernatremia) is the most common electrolyte disturbance, reported in 30­40% of cases and associated with a poor prognosis. This study aimed to evaluate the association between dysnatremia and mortality in hospitalized patients infected with SARS-COV-2. Methods: Retrospective longitudinal study that analyzed data from hospital records of 1,000 patients with COVID-19 (median age, 62.5 years; 57.1% men), including 109 (10.9%) deaths. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Cox proportional hazard models with Hazard Ratio (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were applied to confirm the association between dysnatremia (hyponatremia and/or hypernatremia) and death. Results: Hypernatremia was detected in 83 (76.1%) of the patients who died, with a cumulative reduction in survival (p < 0.01) and a 2.42-fold increased mortality risk (95%CI: 1.45­2.91). In the multivariable analysis, hypernatremia was the main factor associated with increased mortality (HR: 1.50; 95%CI: 1.23­1.81). Long length of stay (LOS) (HR: 1.54; 95%CI: 1.21­1.78), old age (HR: 1.63; 95%CI: 1.28­1.88), and chronic kidney disease (HR: 1.77; 95%CI: 1.21­3.30) were also associated with death. Conclusion: Hypernatremia during hospitalization is an important risk factor for poor prognosis and an increased mortality risk. LOS, old age, and chronic kidney disease could also be used for risk stratification in patients with COVID-19.