Frequency of Chlamydia trachomatis infection in cervical intraepithelial lesions and the status of cytological p16/Ki-67 dual-staining

Background: Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) is not a disease subject to mandatory reporting in Brazil, and the prevalence rate of this genital infection varies according to the region in which studies are conducted, as well as by the detection technique employed. Ct has been associated with persistence of Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and the facilitation of cervical carcinoma development. We evaluated the Chlamydia trachomatis infection and its association with cytology, p16/Ki-67 dual-stained cytology and cervical intraepithelial lesions status in a screening cohort in Brazil. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 1481 cervical samples from asymptomatic women aged 18 to 64. Samples were collected for liquid-based cytology and Ct detection by polymerase chain reaction. p16/Ki-67 double staining was performed on samples with abnormal cytology. Statistical analysis was by chi-square and likelihood-ratio tests. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were determined. Results: The frequency of Ct was 15.6% and its presence was not associated with detection of p16/Ki-67 [OR = 1. 35 (0.5-3.4)]. There was also no association between abnormal cervical cytology and Ct-positivity [OR = 1.21 (0.46-3.2)]. Associations were observed between p16/Ki-67 and high-grade lesions detected by cytology and in biopsies [OR = 3.55 (1.50-8.42) and OR = 19.00 (0.6-7.2), respectively]. Conclusions: The asymptomatic women in our study had a high frequency of Ct infection but this was not associated with p16/Ki-67 detection in samples with abnormal cytology. The expression of p16/Ki-67 was highest in women with high-grade CIN (p = 0.003).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Parent-of-origin-specific allelic associations among 106 genomic loci for age at menarche.

Age at menarche is a marker of timing of puberty in females. It varies widely between individuals, is a heritable trait and is associated with risks for obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, breast cancer and all-cause mortality. Studies of rare human disorders of puberty and animal models point to a complex hypothalamic-pituitary-hormonal regulation, but the mechanisms that determine pubertal timing and underlie its links to disease risk remain unclear. Here, using genome-wide and custom-genotyping arrays in up to 182,416 women of European descent from 57 studies, we found robust evidence (P < 5 × 10(-8)) for 123 signals at 106 genomic loci associated with age at menarche. Many loci were associated with other pubertal traits in both sexes, and there was substantial overlap with genes implicated in body mass index and various diseases, including rare disorders of puberty. Menarche signals were enriched in imprinted regions, with three loci (DLK1-WDR25, MKRN3-MAGEL2 and KCNK9) demonstrating parent-of-origin-specific associations concordant with known parental expression patterns. Pathway analyses implicated nuclear hormone receptors, particularly retinoic acid and γ-aminobutyric acid-B2 receptor signalling, among novel mechanisms that regulate pubertal timing in humans. Our findings suggest a genetic architecture involving at least hundreds of common variants in the coordinated timing of the pubertal transition

Using an oblique incident laser beam to measure the optical properties of stomach mucosa/submucosa tissue

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The purpose of the study is to determine the optical properties and their differences for normal human stomach mucosa/submucosa tissue in the cardiac orifice <it>in vitro </it>at 635, 730, 808, 890 and 980 nm wavelengths of laser.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The measurements were performed using a CCD detector, and the optical properties were assessed from the measurements using the spatially resolved reflectance, and nonlinear fitting of diffusion equation.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The results of measurement showed that the absorption coefficients, the reduced scattering coefficients, the optical penetration depths, the diffusion coefficients, the diffuse reflectance and the shifts of diffuse reflectance of tissue samples at five different wavelengths vary with a change of wavelength. The maximum absorption coefficient for tissue samples is 0.265 mm^-1at 980 nm, and the minimum absorption coefficient is 0.0332 mm^-1at 730 nm, and the maximum difference in the absorption coefficients is 698% between 730 and 980 nm, and the minimum difference is 1.61% between 635 and 808 nm. The maximum reduced scattering coefficient for tissue samples is 1.19 mm^-1at 635 nm, and the minimum reduced scattering coefficient is 0.521 mm^-1at 980 nm, and the maximum difference in the reduced scattering coefficients is 128% between 635 and 980 nm, and the minimum difference is 1.15% between 890 and 980 nm. The maximum optical penetration depth for tissue samples is 3.57 mm at 808 nm, and the minimum optical penetration depth is 1.43 mm at 980 nm. The maximum diffusion constant for tissue samples is 0.608 mm at 890 nm, and the minimum diffusion constant is 0.278 mm at 635 nm. The maximum diffuse reflectance is 3.57 mm^-1at 808 nm, and the minimum diffuse reflectance is 1.43 mm^-1at 980 nm. The maximum shift Δx of diffuse reflectance is 1.11 mm^-1at 890 nm, and the minimum shift Δx of diffuse reflectance is 0.507 mm^-1at 635 nm.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The absorption coefficients, the reduced scattering coefficients, the optical penetration depths, the diffusion coefficients, the diffuse reflectance and the shifts of diffuse reflectance of tissue samples at 635, 730, 808, 890 and 980 nm wavelengths vary with a change of wavelength. There were significant differences in the optical properties for tissue samples at five different wavelengths (<it>P </it>< 0.01).</p