Prevalence and type distribution of human papillomavirus infections in Danish patients diagnosed with vulvar squamous cell tumors and precursors

Objective: To study the prevalence and type distribution of human papillomavirus (HPV) in patients with vulvar high-grade precancerous lesions and vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC). Methods: Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples from Danish patients diagnosed with vulvar precancerous lesions or VSCC in the period from 2010 to 2012 were obtained. HPV-DNA detection was carried out by the use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using GP5+/GP6+ primers and genotyped by sequencing. A systematic literature search on the PubMed database was performed to investigate the prevalence and genotype distribution worldwide. Results: In the present study population (n = 149) 52 vulvar high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL), 2 differentiated vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (dVIN), and 95 VSCC cases were identified. HPV was detected in 85 patients (57.0%). Overall, a higher proportion of the vulvar high-grade precancerous lesions were HPV positive compared to VSCC (83.6% vs. 42.1%, p < 0.001). Additionally, HSIL had a significantly higher HPV-positive rate compared to keratinizing VSCC (84.6% vs. 33.3%, p < 0.001). However, the HPV positivity was comparable between HSIL and non-keratinizing VSCC (84.6% vs. 82.4%, p = 0.825). One dVIN was HPV positive whereas the other was HPV negative. HPV-16 was the most common HPV type (68.2%), followed by HPV-33 (18.8%) and HPV-18 (8.2%). Conclusions: Most vulvar HSIL and non-keratinizing VSCCs appear to be HPV associated. However, we find a high HPV association in keratinizing VSCC, which needs to be further studied. HPV-16 remains the predominant genotype, but HPV-33 also seems to play a role in the development of VSCC

Preface

The editor’s preface contextualizes the main topics of the present special issue of thersites within classical scholarship and classical reception studies. After a brief overview of recent approaches to the representations of war and violence in the ancient world and their impact on contemporary culture, ongoing research on the role of the senses or sensory perceptions and the emotions in classical literature and culture is critically reviewed especially in connection with war, an issue which has garnered relatively little attention in this field to date. Finally, a preview of the papers contained in the volume outlines various cross-connections and identifies some shared topics and methodological approaches that might also suggest new directions for future research

Die Coma Berenices im Comic

GermanDer Beitrag stellt Formen der Antikerezeption im Comic zur Diskussion, die sich außerhalb der Mainstream-Sparten, d.h. jenseits von in einem antiken Setting spielenden Historiencomics oder der Adaptation mythischer Superhelden, bewegen. Die beiden vorgestellten Fallbeispiele aus dem romanischen Sprachraum, ein italienisches Micky-Maus-Heft und eine französisch-schweizerische Bande Dessinée, verarbeiten in unterschiedlicher Weise den auf Kallimachos und Catull zurückgehenden literarischen Stoff der Coma Berenices, der sich um die Weihung und Entführung der Locke der Berenike und ihre Verwandlung in ein Sternbild dreht. Topolino e la Chioma di Berenice (Almanacco Topolino N. 272, August 1979) macht aus dem Stoff eine unterhaltsame Gaunergeschichte um den Raub eines Brillantcolliers, bei dem die Antikebezüge wenn überhaupt nur am Rande eine Rolle für die Rezeption spielen. Der im Rahmen einer Detektiv-Serie erschienene Band Une enquête de Vincent Muraz: La Chevelure de Bérénice (Pop/Buche, Paris 2002) greift in weitaus komplexerer Weise Motive und narrative Strukturen des antiken Plots auf, ohne jedoch die griechisch-römische Antike explizit auf der Text- oder Bildebene zu zitieren. Die spannende Geschichte um die Entführung des kleinen Mädchens Bérénice und ihre abgeschnittenen blonden Locken, die in der Entdeckung eines Kometen im Sternbild der Coma Berenices gipfelt, verbindet Elemente von Thriller und Science-Fiction und reflektiert damit die kosmische Dimension des antiken Plots in einer globalisierten modernen Form. EnglishThe paper discusses forms of the reception of antiquity that do not easily fit into the mainstream categories of comics set in the classical world or featuring mythical superheroes. The two cases in question, an Italian Mickey Mouse production and a Swiss-French Bande Dessinée, both adapt in very different ways the classical literary theme of the Coma Berenices deriving from Callimachus and Catullus, who tell how the lock of Berenice that she had dedicated disappeared and was turned into a constellation. Topolino e la Chioma di Berenice (Almanacco Topolino N. 272, August 1979) transforms the plot into an entertaining gangster story about the theft of a diamond necklace, for whose reception the classical background is certainly not essential. The volume Une enquête de Vincent Muraz: La Chevelure de Bérénice (Pop/Buche, Paris 2002), forming part of a detective series, uses motifs and narrative structures deriving from the classical plot in a much more complex way, but still without explicitly quoting Greco-Roman antiquity on the textual or iconographical level. The gripping story about the kidnapping of little Bérénice, whose blonde locks are cut off, and the discovery of a comet in the constellation of Coma Berenices combines elements of thriller and science-fiction and thus reflects the cosmic dimension of the classical plot in a globalized modern setting

Vorwort: tessellae

Prolegomena to thersites 11, "tessellae – Birthday Issue for Christine Walde

Epyllion as idyll or enigma? Thessaly as a mythico-literary landscape of war in Catullus 64 and in Callimachus’ Hymn to Delos

Catullus’ poem 64 is a highly complex text, the interpretation of which has long divided scholarship. In the present paper I look at possible political resonances of the epyllion in its historical context. First, I propose an intertextual reading of two passages from Catullus 64 (the catalogues of mortal and divine guests that attend the wedding at Pharsalus) in the light of Callimachus’ Hymn to Delos. I argue that Catullus uses the Thessalian section of the hymn with the struggle between the river Peneios and the war-god Ares not only as a source for learned mythological and geographical details, but also as a substantial subtext for his dark vision of Thessaly as a landscape foreboding war and civil war. In a second reading, I then look back at Catullus 64 from the perspective of two later Roman poets, Virgil and Lucan, who historicize Catullus’ mythical Thessaly even more specifically in the light of the civil wars. As examples I take the epilogue to the first book of the Georgics and especially Lucan’s Thessalian excursus in the sixth book of his Bellum civile, where he reworks Catullus as well as Callimachus in order to characterize his Thessaly as a literary landscape predestined for the horrors of the civil war battle at Pharsalus.Le poème 64 de Catulle est un texte très complexe, dont l'interprétation a longtemps divisé les savants. Dans le présent article, je recherché les résonances politiques possibles de l’epyllion dans son contexte historique. Tout d'abord, je propose une lecture intertextuelle de deux passages du poème 64 de Catulle (les catalogues des clients mortels et divins qui sont présents au mariage à Pharsale) à la lumière de l'Hymne à Délos de Callimaque. Je soutiens que Catulle utilise la section thessalienne de l'hymne sur la lutte entre le fleuve Pénée et le dieu de la guerre Arès, non seulement comme source érudite pour plus de détails mythologiques et géographiques, mais aussi comme un sous-texte important pour sa vision sombre de la Thessalie comme paysage annonçant la guerre et la guerre civile. Dans un deuxième temps, je reviens au poème 64 de Catulle dans la perspective de deux poètes latins ultérieurs, Virgile et Lucain, qui historicisent la Thessalie mythique de Catulle encore plus nettement à la lumière des guerres civiles. À titre d'exemples, je prends l'épilogue du premier livre des Géorgiques et surtout l’excursus thessalien de Lucain dans le sixième livre de son Bellum civile, où il retravaille Catulle ainsi que Callimaque afin de caractériser sa Thessalie comme un paysage littéraire prédestiné pour les horreurs de la la bataille de la guerre civile à Pharsale.Il carme 64 di Catullo è un testo molto complesso la cui interpretazione divide da tempo la critica. Nel presente articolo considero i possibili echi politici dell’epillio nel suo contesto storico. In primo luogo, propongo una lettura intertestuale di due passi dal carme 64 (il catalogo degli ospiti mortali e divini che partecipano al matrimonio a Farsalo) alla luce dell’Inno a Delo di Callimaco. Sostengo che Catullo utilizzi la sezione tessalica dell’inno, con lo scontro fra il fiume Peneo e il dio della guerra Ares, non solo come fonte di dettagli mitologici e geografici, ma anche come rilevante sottotesto per la sua visione negativa della Tessaglia come paesaggio che prefigura la guerra e soprattutto la guerra civile. In una seconda lettura, ritorno al carme 64 di Catullo dal punto di vista di due più tardi poeti romani, Virgilio e Lucano, che storicizzano la Tessaglia mitica di Catullo ancora più precisamente alla luce delle guerre civili. Come esempi prendo l’epilogo al primo libro delle Georgiche e soprattutto l’excursus tessalico di Lucano nel sesto libro del Bellum civile, nel quale egli rielabora Catullo così come Callimaco al fine di caratterizzare la sua Tessaglia come paesaggio letterario, predestinato agli orrori della battaglia di Farsalo

HPV16 E6 and E7 upregulate interferon-induced antiviral response genes ISG15 and IFIT1 in human trophoblast cells

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is suggested to infect trophoblasts in the placenta, and HPV infections are reported to be more prevalent in pregnancies with adverse outcomes. Results are however controversial, and studies investigating the molecular consequences of placental HPV infections are lacking. We studied HPV DNA localization in the placenta in cases of spontaneous abortion/spontaneous preterm delivery as well as in elective abortion/normal full-term delivery. Using in vitro assays, we investigated downstream effects of HPV16 E6 and E7 expression in trophoblast cells at the gene expression level in order to gain increased biological insight into the interaction between HPV and the cellular host. Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), combined with fluorescent immunohistochemistry (FIHC) to target the trophoblast marker CK7 clearly showed, that HPV DNA resides within syncytiotrophoblast cells in the placenta. In vitro HPV16 E6 and E7-transfected trophoblasts were analyzed by RNA sequencing, and results were validated by reverse transcription real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) for selected genes in cell lines, as well as in patient material. We show that HPV16 E6 and E7 upregulate interferon-induced antiviral response genes ISG15 and IFIT1 in a human trophoblast cell line two-days post-transfection. This is a response that is not observed when assessing the gene expression levels of the same genes in HPV16-positive placenta samples. Investigations on viral activity find that HPV16 E6 and E7 are not transcribed in patients, possibly suggesting that HPV16 syncytiotrophoblast infection may be latent. We conclude that HPV localizes to syncytiotrophoblast cells of the placenta, and that active expression of HPV16 E6 and E7 induce an immediate interferon-induced antiviral response in trophoblast cells, which is not present in HPV-positive placenta samples, suggesting latent infection

Recherches sur l’epyllion à l’époque hellénistique et au-delà

Ce volume de la revue Aitia est constitué de la réunion de deux rencontres organisées à l’ENS de Lyon en septembre 2012 et à l’Université Roma Tre en mai 2013 sur l'epyllion et plus particulièrement sur les rapports entre l'epyllion et le mythe. Il est constitué de 16 contributions sur cette forme poétique problématique qu’est l’epyllion, auquel s’ajoute une contribution marginale et deux comptes rendus. This volume of the on-line journal Aitia consists of the proceedings of two meetings held at ENS of Lyon in September 2012 and at the Roma Tre University in May 2013 on the Epyllion and more specifically on the relationship between Epyllion and myth. It consists of 16 contributions on this problematic poetic form of the Epyllion, plus a marginal contribution and two reviews. Questo volume della rivista Aitia consiste nell'unione di due incontri presso ENS de Lyon (settembre 2012) e l'Università Roma Tre (maggio 2013) sull' epillio e in particolare sul rapporto tra epillio e mito. Si compone di 16 contributi su questa forma poetica che è l'epillio, oltre a un contributo marginale e due relazioni