The infection with Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the necessary cause for cervical cancer. There are at least 15
High-Risk (HR) HPV types that are significantly associated with progression of cervical ...intraepithelial neoplasia to cervical
cancer. Since previous studies showed that the prevalence of HPV in cervical cancers varies among different geographic
regions, we wanted to investigate the prevalence of HPV types in Croatia, especially low abundant HR HPV
types. By means of consensus primers directed polymerase chain reaction (PCR), we analysed cervical DNA samples of
2,136 Croatian women, mostly with abnormal cervical smears, in order to detect the presence of HPV. Type-specific primers
were then used to determine Low-Risk (LR) HPV types 6/11 and HR HPV types 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52 and 58. Out of
2,136 specimens, 1,255 (58.8%) were positive for HPV. More than half of positive samples were typed (64.5%) and 35.5%
still remained untyped. Multiple HPV infections were found in 10.3% of the cases. The most prevalent type, including
both single and multiple infections, was HPV 16 with the prevalence of 15.9%, followed by HPV types 31, 6/11, 33, 18, 52,
45 and 58 with 8.7%, 7.1%, 4.5%, 3.8%, 2.3%, 1.2% and 1.1%, respectively. The significant increase of frequency from
Low-grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions (LSIL) to High-grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions (HSIL) was observed
for HR HPV types 16, 18, 31 and 33 but not 45, 52 and 58. The frequency of unknown HPV types was almost the
same in cervical specimens of women with LSIL and those with HSIL, 19.8% and 21.1%, respectively. The prevalence of
HPV infection rate decreased significantly with patient age from 68.5% (age group 12 to 24 years) to 38.8% (age group 45
to 54 years). But, in women aged 55 or older the overall prevalence increased to 56.6%. Our results indicate that prevalence
of HR HPV types in Croatia is similar to other countries. We suggest that HPV positive women in Croatia should be
closely monitored by typing for HR HPV types: 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52 and 58.
Procijenjena je točnost i osjetljivost metode temeljene na razlici dužina restrikcijskih odsječaka DNA (RFLP, restriction fragment lenght polymorphism) za razlikovanje sojeva virusa zarazne bolesti ...burze (VZBB). Lančanom reakcijom polimerazom (PCR, polymerase chain reaction) uz prethodnu reverznu transkripciju (RT, reverse transcription) umnožen je dio promjenljivog dijela VP2 gena koji kodira glavne virusne neutralizacijske epitope. Nastali produkti veličine 422 parova baza (bp, base pair) pocijepani su restrikcijskim endonukleazama SacI i TaqI. Restrikcijski profili nastali enzimskim cijepanjem uspoređeni su s podatcima navedenim u banci gena. Metoda je testirana na dva komercijalna cjepiva proizvedena u Hrvatskoj (Gumbokal® SPF, soj 2512 i Gumbokal® IM SPF, soj VMG 91) te dva hrvatska terenska izolata VZBB (IBDV/96/01 i IBDV/ 97/02). Oba su terenska izolata pokazala RFLP profil jednak vrlo virulentnim europskim i azijskim sojevima VZBB. Oba cijepna soja imala su različit RFLP profil od terenskih izolata. Cijepni soj 2512 ima RFLP profil jednak blagim cijepnim sojem pbg-98, a VMG 91 je sličan poznatim intermedijarnim sojevima VZBB.
Hybrid cell lines were prepared by the fusion of mouse myeloma cells with the spleen cells of Wistar-Furth rats that had been immunized with a Moloney sarcoma virus (Mo-MuSV)-induced tumour, MFU. Two ...immunization protocols were designed. In the first, the animals received several injections of irradiated (10 000 rad) cells of a tumour cell line established in vitro, MFU-67. The rats received a booster injection 3 days prior to fusion. In the second protocol, immunization was the result of simple tumour growth, and no booster was given. Hybrids were tested by immunofluorescence for the production of immunoglobulins reacting with mouse cells acutely infected with Mo-MuSV. Over 20% of reactive hybrids were observed in the tumour growth protocol, and about 10% in the irradiated cell protocol when the last injection of the series was given 2 weeks before fusion. After 6 months, the proportion fell to 3%. Hybrid lines producing antibody to p30, the major core polypeptide of murine retroviruses, were obtained by cloning. Three of these were selected for closer study and were found to recognize three non-overlapping epitopes on p30. By direct and competitive binding in ELISA tests, the three epitopes were found to have very different distribution patterns among the various strains and isolates of murine retroviruses.
The situation of cervical cancer prevention in South-East Europe is hardly documented, in spite of the fact that it encloses
the most affected countries of Europe. We estimated the number of cases of ...cervical cancer, the number of deaths from
this malignancy and the corresponding rates for 11 countries located in South-East Europe, in the period 2002–2004. Each
year, approximately 9,000 women develop cervical cancer and about 4,600 die from the disease in this subcontinent. The
most affected country is Romania with almost 3,500 cases and more than 2,000 deaths per year. High world-age standardised
mortality rates (>7.5 expressed per 100,000 women-years) are observed in 7 countries: FYROM (7.6), Moldova (7.8),
Bulgaria (8.0), Bosnia & Herzegovina (8.0), Albania (9.8), Serbia & Montenegro (10.1) and Romania (13.0). A matter of
concern is the increasing mortality rate, in younger women, in the countries with the highest burden of cervical cancer.
Thus, appropriate cervical cancer prevention programmes should be set up without delay in this part of Europe.
The Future of Cervical Cancer Prevention in Europe Davies, Philip; Bogdanovic-Guillion, Aleksandra; Grce, Magdalena ...
Collegium antropologicum,
04/2007, Volume:
31 - Supplement 2, Issue:
2
Book Review
Open access
Cervical cancer remains a significant source of disease and death in Europe. However, we now have the means to prevent
virtually every case of cervical cancer through comprehensive, population-based, ...organised cervical cancer prevention
programmes that effectively integrate cervical screening with the new technologies and vaccines that are now available.
Given the potential health benefits of these programmes in reducing disease incidence and mortality, their establishment
is now an ethical imperative for all European countries.
Opportunistic screening based on the Pap smear has been undertaken in Croatia since 1953. However, cervical cancer
remains an important health problem in Croatia when compared to European countries ...with organised screening programmes.
In Croatia, in addition to screening based on well established cytology, Human papillomavirus (HPV) testing
is widely used as secondary test as a triage to borderline cytology and as a follow-up after treatment of severe cervical
lesions. Many different approaches for HPV testing arose in Croatia over the last decade depending on the needs of each
medical institution involved. Presently, there is an urgent need for better networking between the laboratories, the implementation
of quality assessment and the adaptation of a uniform system of referring to and reporting of HPV testing. In
conclusion, the best possible organisation for HPV testing would be essential for implementation of HPV testing as primary
screening test in Croatia, an thus ultimately and hopefully, the more successful cervical cancer control.
PDF
