The Impact of Human Papillomavirus Educational Intervention Study on the Knowledge, Health Beliefs, Health Behaviors and Increasing the Use of Gardasil in Women of Color

Lack of human papillomavirus (HPV) knowledge and cervical cancer awareness are factors contributing to a disproportion in African American (AA) women with cervical cancer. The purpose of this intervention study was to use gender specific and culturally appropriate HPV educational materials to increase HPV knowledge and cervical cancer awareness, to increase health beliefs, and the intent for AA women to use the HPV vaccine. Convenience sampling was used to describe a sample of 98 AA women recruited from an Ambulatory Women’s health clinic between 2015 and 2017. HPV educational videos and pamphlets materials were used to collect baseline and post intervention knowledge using a self-administered questionnaire, video, and pamphlet. Results revealed an increase in HPV and cervical cancer knowledge, and recommended use of HPV vaccine with family members. HPV educational materials increased women’s knowledge of HPV and cervical cancer, increased healthy behaviors, and the intent to use HPV vaccine with family members, without personal intent to take the HPV vaccine. Future research is needed to examine the decrease in AA women’s’ intent to receive the HPV vaccine

Self-Collected Vaginal Swabs for HPV Screening: An Exploratory Study of Rural Black Mississippi Women

Objectives. To determine the post-procedure acceptability of self-collecting a vaginal swab for HPV testing among a highly impoverished and geographically isolated population of medically underserved Black women residing in the Mississippi Delta. Further, to test correlates of reporting that self-collection is preferred over Pap testing. Finally, to determine the prevalence of any of 13 high-risk HPV types among this population and the correlates of testing positive. Methods. Eighty-eight women were recruited from two churches located in different towns of the Mississippi Delta. After completing a survey, women were provided instructions for self-collecting a cervico-vaginal swab and completing a post-collection survey. Specimens were tested for 13 oncogenic HPV types. Due to the exploratory nature of the study, significance was defined by a 0.15 alpha-level. Results. Comfort levels with self-collection were high: 78.4% indicated a preference for self-collecting a specimen compared to Pap testing. Overall, 24 women (28.7%) tested positive for one or more of the 13 HPV types. Significant associations with testing positive were found for women having sex with females (P = 0.09), those never having an abnormal Pap (P = 0.06), younger women (P = 0.10), those with greater fatalism scores (P = 0.006), and those having less trust in doctors (P = 0.001). Conclusions. Black rural women from the deep-south are generally comfortable self-collecting cervico-vaginal swabs for HPV testing. Given that nearly 30% tested positive for oncogenic HPV, and that fatalism as well a lack of trust in doctors predicted prevalence, a reasonable screening alternative to Pap testing may be community-based testing for HPV using self-collected vaginal swabs

Development and Validation of a HPV-32 Specific PCR Assay

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Human Papillomavirus-32 (HPV-32) has traditionally been associated with focal-epithelial-hyperplasia (FEH). It is also present in 58% of oral warts of HIV-positive individuals whose prevalence is increasing. Current methods for the detection of HPV-32 are labor-intensive and insensitive so the goal of this work was to develop a highly sensitive and easy to use specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay.</p> <p>Materials and methods</p> <p>An HPV-32 L1 specific PCR assay was developed and optimized. The sensitivity and specificity was compared to previous assays utilized for detection (PGMY and MY09/11 PCR with dot blot hybridization) using cloned HPV-32 L1, the closely related HPV-42 L1 as well as clinical samples (oral swabs and fluids from 89 HIV-positive subjects).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The HPV-32 specific PCR assay showed improved sensitivity to 5 copies of HPV-32 as compared to the PGMY PCR, MY09/11 PCR and dot blot which had a limit of detection of approximately 3,000 copies. Using the HPV-32 dot blot hybridization assay as the gold standard, the HPV-32 specific PCR assay has a sensitivity of 95.8% and 88.9% by sample and subject, respectively, and specificity was 87.8% and 58.8% by sample and subject, respectively. The low sensitivity is due to the HPV-32 specific PCR assays ability to detect more HPV-32 positive samples and may be the new gold standard.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Due to the ease, sensitivity, and specificity the HPV-32 specific PCR assay is superior to previous assays and is ideal for detection of HPV-32 in large cohorts. This assay provides an excellent tool to study the natural history of HPV-32 infection and the development of oral warts.</p

Longitudinal Variations in Antibody Responses against SARS-CoV-2 Spike Epitopes upon Serial Vaccinations

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) impacted healthcare, the workforce, and worldwide socioeconomics. Multi-dose mono- or bivalent mRNA vaccine regimens have shown high efficacy in protection against SARSCoV- 2 and its emerging variants with varying degrees of efficacy. Amino acid changes, primarily in the receptor-binding domain (RBD), result in selection for viral infectivity, disease severity, and immune evasion. Therefore, many studies have centered around neutralizing antibodies that target the RBD and their generation achieved through infection or vaccination. Here, we conducted a unique longitudinal study, analyzing the effects of a three-dose mRNA vaccine regimen exclusively using the monovalent BNT162b2 (Pfizer/BioNTech) vaccine, systematically administered to nine previously uninfected (naïve) individuals. We compare changes in humoral antibody responses across the entire SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein (S) using a high-throughput phage display technique (VirScan). Our data demonstrate that two doses of vaccination alone can achieve the broadest and highest magnitudes of anti-S response. Moreover, we present evidence of novel highly boosted non-RBD epitopes that strongly correlate with neutralization and recapitulate independent findings. These vaccine-boosted epitopes could facilitate multi-valent vaccine development and drug discovery

An attempt to clone simian virus 40's large T antigen

Thesis (B.S.) in Biochemistry--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1980.Bibliography: leaves 38-40.Microfiche of typescript. [Urbana, Ill.] : Photographic Services, University of Illinois, U of I Library, [1983]. 2 microfiches (51 frames) : negative ; 11 x 15 cm

An attempt to clone simian virus 40's large T antigen

Thesis (B.S.) in Biochemistry--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1980.Bibliography: leaves 38-40.Microfiche of typescript. [Urbana, Ill.] : Photographic Services, University of Illinois, U of I Library, [1983]. 2 microfiches (51 frames) : negative ; 11 x 15 cm

Human Papillomavirus-Specific Antibody Status in Oral Fluids Modestly Reflects Serum Status in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Positive Individuals

Serological assays are valuable tools for studies of the epidemiology of human papillomaviruses (HPVs). The efficacy of a less invasive oral-fluid assay for detection of HPV antibodies was examined. Matched serum, saliva, and oral mucosal transudate (OMT) specimens collected from 150 human immunodeficiency virus-seropositive patients were tested for immunoglobulin G antibodies against HPV-6 and HPV-11 combined (HPV-6/11) and HPV-16 capsids. Antibodies to HPV were detected in both types of oral specimens. Seroprevalence rates were 55% for HPV-6/11 and 37% for HPV-16, whereas oral prevalence rates were significantly lower (for HPV-6/11 in saliva, 31%, and in OMT, 19%; for HPV-16 in saliva, 19%, and in OMT, 17%). HPV antibody detection in OMT more accurately reflected the presence of antibodies in serum than did HPV antibody detection in saliva. More stringent saliva assay cutpoints yielded stronger associations between oropositivity and seropositivity; less stringent OMT cutpoints yielded stronger associations between oropositivity and seropositivity. Although HPV antibodies were detected in oral fluids, further optimization of the assay is necessary before oral-fluid testing can be implemented as a reliable alternative to serum testing for HPV

Dynamics of Serum-Neutralizing Antibody Responses in Vaccinees through Multiple Doses of the BNT162b2 Vaccine

SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines are administered as effective prophylactic measures for reducing virus transmission rates and disease severity. To enhance the durability of post-vaccination immunity and combat SARS-CoV-2 variants, boosters have been administered to two-dose vaccinees. However, long-term humoral responses following booster vaccination are not well characterized. A 16-member cohort of healthy SARS-CoV-2 naïve participants were enrolled in this study during a three-dose BNT162b2 vaccine series. Serum samples were collected from vaccinees over 420 days and screened for antigen (Ag)-specific antibody titers, IgG subclass distribution, and neutralizing antibody (nAb) responses. Vaccine boosting restored peak Ag-specific titers with sustained α-RBD IgG and IgA antibody responses when measured at six months post-boost. RBD- and spike-specific IgG4 antibody levels were markedly elevated in three-dose but not two-dose immune sera. Although strong neutralization responses were detected in two- and three-dose vaccine sera, these rapidly decayed to pre-immune levels by four and six months, respectively. While boosters enhanced serum IgG Ab reactivity and nAb responses against variant strains, all variants tested showed resistance to two- and three-dose immune sera. Our data reflect the poor durability of vaccine-induced nAb responses which are a strong predictor of protection from symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. The induction of IgG4-switched humoral responses may permit extended viral persistence via the downregulation of Fc-mediated effector functions