Longitudinal assessment of nonavalent vaccine HPV types in a sample of sexually active African American women from ten U.S. Cities.

BACKGROUND: Chronic infection with high-risk human papillomavirus is a necessary cause for cervical carcinogenesis. This study examined prevalence of nonavalent vaccine preventable HPV types over four months among sexually active women in the United States. METHODS: This sub-study obtained meta-data for 80 of the 1,365 women (18-25 years), enrolled in the BRAVO study, a randomized, open-label trial of home screening and treatment of asymptomatic bacterial vaginosis at high-risk for sexually transmitted infections conducted between 2008 and 2013. Participants were randomized to treatment or standard-of-care, and followed every 2-months for 12 months. Stored vaginal swabs from the first three visits were tested for the nine vaccine preventable HPV types using quantitative PCR. Prevalence and associated 95% confidence intervals for the HPV types were assessed using R (version 3.6.1). RESULTS: The average age of the participants was 21.5 (SD ± 2.11) years, with 60% having ever been pregnant and all were African-American. Majority (71%) reported ≥ two sex partners in the prior year with 89% having unprotected vaginal sex and 45% having a new sex partner in the prior year. About 30% had ≥ one of the nine nonavalent vaccine HPV types at all three time points over a period of four months, 15% at two of any three visits, 19% at one of the three visits and 36% were negative for all nine vaccine HPV types at all time points. The most frequently detected HPV vaccine types were 52, 58, 16, and 18. The prevalence of any vaccine HPV types, and high-risk HPV types was 63.8% and 58.8%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that HPV vaccination which is currently recommended for all unvaccinated persons through age 26 years, is likely to be more beneficial than previously thought as nonavalent HPV vaccine was not available during the time these data were collected.

Detection of mutagenic activity in textiles with Salmonella typhimurium.

A hundred and ninety-six textile samples were tested in a modified version of the Salmonella/microsome assay for release of mutagenic contaminants. As heat sterilization of the samples can result in reduction of mutagenic activity, tests were performed with streptomycin resistant derivatives of Salmonella tester strains TA98 and TA100. Textile samples were preincubated in buffered saline (PBS), DMSO or ethanol. Subsequently, the fabrics were placed on streptomycin supplemented selective agar plates. In total, 18 samples (9.2%) exerted mutagenic activity. DMSO was the most effective solvent (15 positives) followed by ethanol (9 positive samples) and PBS (7 positives). Most fabrics (16) caused mutagenic effects only upon metabolic activation with liver S9 mix. Chemical analysis indicates that the positive results obtained with PBS are not due to release of histidine or formaldehyde. Three directly active samples gave negative results in strain TA98NR which is devoid of classical nitroreductase. With one exception all other textiles were negative in strain TA98/1,8-DNP6 (which lacks O-acetyltransferase). These findings indicate that nitroaromatics and amines might be responsible for the mutagenic effects of the textiles.

Cognitive development of severely and profoundly mentally retarded individuals.

Corman and Escalona's scales for Object Permanence and Spatial Relationships were readministered to 71 severely and profoundly mentally retarded individuals five years after the last previous administration of the scales. Gains in mean scores were small but statistically significant for both scales. In addition, significantly more subjects gained than lost on Spatial Relationships, though not on Object Permanence. These findings provide evidence that the cognitive development of at least some severely and profoundly retarded individuals continues into early adulthood, even in the absence of special programs designed to promote such development.