Vaccines in Current Culture: The HPV Vaccine Controversy

The use of vaccinations has drastically decreased mortality and morbidity rates related to infectious disease and has become an intrinsic part of modern health care. However, the fear of risks related to vaccines has been partially responsible for the decisions of many parents to delay or avoid vaccinating their children. The human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine specifically is one of the most controversial vaccines in current culture due to reports of new onset or exacerbation of autoimmune diseases, infertility, and even death following its administration. This review synthesizes information regarding the relevance and safety of the HPV vaccine, as well as its efficacy in preventing cervical cancer and precancerous lesions. There appears to be a need for thorough education regarding concepts of immunity, infection, and vaccine function for those hesitant about receiving vaccines. Particularly regarding the HPV vaccine, practitioners should be familiar with common reasons for vaccine refusal and be prepared to respond with accurate information

Human Papillomavirus

This book is about the highly infective human papilloma virus (HPV). There are more than 200 strains of HPV, though only a few, like HPV 16 and HPV 18, are oncogenic. HPV infections can lead to cancers of the cervix, vulva, vagina, anus, penis, and oral cavity.Written by authors from across the globe, this book is a comprehensive look at HPV. Chapters cover such topics as the epidemiology of HPV, treatment of the manifestations of HPV, which can include warts on the skin and genitals, diagnosis and management of oral mucosal cancers due to HPV, HPV and pregnancy, and HPV vaccines. It is a useful reference for researchers and scientists in the field, providing them with helpful knowledge to combat and prevent HPV infections and cancers

Human papillomavirus (HPV) in mothers before and after delivery – a three year follow-up study.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections in mothers are important to consider since pregnancy may affect the outcome of the infection and the mother may transmit HPV to the child. This thesis is part of the 3-year Finnish Family HPV Study on HPV infection dynamics within 329 families. The presence of maternal HPV antibodies and HPV DNA in placenta, umbilical cord blood and breast milk was examined. In addition, genital and oral HR-HPV carriage was studied among mothers with one or two pregnancies. At enrollment, seropositivity to HPV 6, 11, 16, 18 and 45 was recorded in 53 %, 21 %, 35 %, 21 % and 9 % of the mothers, respectively. Age at sexual debut, number of sexual partners, a history of genital warts and antibodies to LR/HR-HPV predicted HR/LR-HPV-seropositivity. During follow-up 27 %, 14 %, 17 %, 17 % and 7 % of the mothers seroconverted to the tested HPV-types, respectively. Decay of HPV-antibodies was rare. The mother’s new pregnancy was of minor impact in the outcome of oral and cervical HR-HPV infections. HPV-DNA was present in 4.2 % and 3.5 % of the placentas and umbilical cord blood samples, and in 4.5 % and 19.7 % of the breast milk samples collected at day 3 and month 2 postpartum, respectively. HPV-positivity in placenta/cord blood was related to a history of abnormal pap-smears or genital warts, and raised the risk of the neonate being HPV-positive at birth. The mode of delivery did not predict the HPVstatus of neonate, placenta, or cord blood. HPV DNA in breast milk was associated with oral HPV status of the father, but not with HPV status of the neonate. The results indicate that exposure to HPV is common and that part of the exposure might take place already early in life. Contrary to the common claim, pregnancy is not a risk factor for HPV.Siirretty Doriast

Prevention of cervical, vaginal, and vulval cancers: role of the quadrivalent human papillomavirus (6, 11, 16, 18) recombinant vaccine

The relationship between the human papillomavirus (HPV) and malignancies of the uterine cervix, vagina, and vulva has been established. The development of a quadrivalent HPV recombinant prophylactic vaccine represents the first time in history that primary prevention of these cancers is offered to girls and women. The prevalence of oncogenic HPV subtypes in cervical cancers has been the most studied, but prevalence has also been established for vaginal and vulvar cancers. Clinical trials demonstrate impressive efficacy in disease prevention as well as excellent safety and tolerability. The role the quadrivalent HPV recombinant vaccine promises to have in the reduction of gynecologic malignancies will depend on various factors, including acceptance and accessibility of the vaccine, duration of immunity, and cross-protection against other oncogenic HPV subtypes. The HPV vaccine’s role in disease reduction will probably be viewed in the context of a strategy that involves continued secondary screening and lifestyle modification to reduce modifiable risk factors, along with widespread vaccination

Human papillomavirus: pathogenesis and barriers to prevention

Cervical cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in the world, and human papillomavirus (HPV) is a cause of the vast majority of these patient cases. With many HPV types being oncogenic in nature, HPV as a whole is responsible for over 5% of all cancers worldwide and 15% of cancer in women in developing countries. HPV is a sexually transmitted infection that is spread through contact with infected genital skin, mucosa, or bodily fluids from a partner with acute or subclinical viral infection. While less frequent, various strains of the virus are also responsible for anal and vaginal warts, anal cancer, and cancer of the vulva and penis – these account for approximately 50,000 cases per year worldwide. Data also suggest a potential implication of HPV in oropharyngeal cancers, especially among younger adults. Various behavioral and prophylactic approaches are recommended for the prevention of HPV infection and cancer. For example, there is evidence that behavioral change can be effective, such as condom use and limitation on the number of sexual partners. Besides this, in recent years we have seen the development of various prophylactic or therapeutic vaccines that are highly effective in the prevention of HPV pathogenesis. Despite this, barriers to treatment and prevention exist, making HPV a continuing threat to individuals most at-risk across the globe. Thus, this study reviewed a large collection of current HPV and related cancer literature to understand the process of infection and pathogenesis in various human sites as well as potential barriers to prevention and treatment that may be perpetuating the survival of the virus across the world. Analyzing current and past research on such barriers, this paper delves into important variables that can affect early detection and treatment of HPV, and also explores a novel and promising therapy currently in development that could be valuable in overcoming many of these issues

Male Circumcision and Infection

Worldwide, male circumcision is done for religious or cultural reasons, and to a lesser degree for medical indications. Newborn male circumcision is associated with fewer genitourinary infections in younger males. In the current decade, a substantial body of research suggests that male circumcision is effective as a prophylactic measure against HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. The compelling HIV reductions in 3 African randomized control trials in circumcised men have prompted use of male circumcision as a key part of HIV prevention in developing nations. More recently, the use of male circumcision as a public health measure in developed nations is a topic of international discussion

Assessment of Human Papilloma Virus infection in cervical epithelium of Kashmiri women

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection is estimated to be the most common sexually transmitted infection. Because Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is one of the causal factors in cervical cancer, understanding the epidemiology of this infection is an important step towards developing strategies for prevention. The aim of the present study was to examine the HPV prevalence and distribution of high risk HPV 16 and HPV 18 in cervical smears in a sample of Kashmiri women attending a gynecological outpatient department at Lal Ded Hospital Srinagar and also to explore the determinants of the infection. A total of 210 women visiting the gynecology outpatient department with varied complaints were studied with mean age 37.7yrs. Most of the participating women had low level of education with 40.95% of women having ≤6 years of education, 37.6% of women having 6-12yrs of education and 21.42% of women having ≥12yrs of education. All the women were married. Around 62.85% were 18-25yrs of age at the time of marriage. Of the married women most (50.4%) had ≥4 number of full term pregnancies. About 48.09% of women had low monthly income. Oral contraceptive was the most common method of contraception (26.66%). It is noteworthy that almost half of the study participants did not use any contraceptive method (53.33%). DNA was extracted from all the samples and subjected to polymerase chain reaction, using consensus primers for HPV. The samples that were positive for HPV DNA were subsequently assessed for high-risk consensus primers, types 16 and 18. The overall HPV prevalence as observed in our study was 13.8% among our sample of Kashmiri females aged 19 to 57 years (n=210). HPV prevalence was 33.3% among females aged 19 to 27 years, 11.3% among women aged 28 to 37 years, 7.9% among women aged 39 to 47 years and 13.5% among women aged 48 to 57 years. The prevalence of HPV infection in Kashmiri women is similar as observed in other states of India. The age pattern of HPV prevalence of the study group showed a general decrease, there was statistically significant (P=0.038) differences in the age-specific rates of HPV DNA detection in the study women aged 18-57. A statistically higher prevalence of high-risk HPV was observed in low economic status (P=0.017) and rural groups (P=0.016). Statistically significant association was found between HPV prevalence with age (P=0.038), parity (P=0.037) and age at marriage (P=0.025). This preliminary study could become a useful data for laying guidelines for mass screening of HPV, treatment and prophylaxis in the local population

Human Papillomaviruses-Related Cancers: An Update on the Presence and Prevention Strategies in the Middle East and North African Regions.

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is a non-enveloped double-stranded DNA virus capable of infecting skin and mucosa epithelial cells. Commonly, HPV infection is associated with sexually transmitted diseases and is considered the leading cause of cervical cancer and other carcinomas of the anogenital tract. However, several studies reported their involvement in cancers of non-sexual regions, including colorectal, head and neck, and breast cancers. There are several studies from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regions on the potential association between high-risk HPVs and cancer; nevertheless, there are limited studies that address the significance of HPV vaccination as a potential guard against these cancers. In the current review, we present a comprehensive description of the current HPV-associated cancers prevalence rates in the MENA region, demonstrating their steady increase with time, especially in African regions. Moreover, we discuss the potential impact of vaccination against HPV infections and its outcome on human health in this region.Our lab is supported by grants from Qatar University: QUCP-CMED-2021-1 and QUCP-CMED-2022/23-529