Prevalence and type distribution of human papillomavirus infection in women from North Sardinia, Italy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Human papillomavirus (HPV) has been associated with several disorders of the genital tract, skin and oropharynx. The aims of our study were to evaluate the prevalence of HPV infection in women between 15 and 54 years of age in North Sardinia, Italy, to identify the prevalence of High Risk - Human papillomaviruses (HR-HPV) genotypes and to establish a correlation between molecular and cytological results.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>From 2007 to 2009 we consecutively enrolled women aged 15-54 years admitted to public and private outpatient settings. All the participants filled in a questionnaire about the socio-cultural state, sexual activity and awareness about HPV. 323 cervical specimens were tested for HPV-DNA and HPV genotypes with INNO-LiPA HPV Genotyping CE Amp kit. Samples showing positivity to some HPV genotypes were re-tested using "in house" quantitative Real-Time PCR assays.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Overall HPV-DNA positivity was detected in 35.9% of the women. The prevalence of HR-HPV infection among HPV positive samples was 93.1% with a specific prevalence of HPV 16, 51, 31, 53 and 18 of 54.3%, 37.9%, 10.3%, 6.9% and 5.2%, respectively. Co-infection with any HPV, HR-HPV, LR-HPV and HR/LR-HPV type was 18.3%, 14.9%, 0.9% and 2.5%, respectively; HPV 16/51 co-infection was detected in 64.6% of the HR-HPV co-infection group. The most frequent HPV-genotypes detected were 16 (32.5%) and 51 (22.7%). Among the 57 patients harboring mono-infection the most prevalent HPV genotypes were 16 (38.6%) and 31(10.5%). A multivariate analysis identified a statistical significant association between HPV infection and age and between HPV infection and previous sexual transmitted diseases. A statistically significant association between cytological cervical lesions and generic HPV exposure was identified.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>To our knowledge, this is the first survey evaluating the prevalence of HPV infection in Northern Sardinia and drawing attention to the unusual high proportion of genotype HPV 51. Given the recent implementation of a widespread immunization program with vaccines not containing HPV 51, it has been relevant to prove the high prevalence of this HPV genotype from the start of the vaccination campaign, in order to avoid in the future attributing to the vaccination program a possible selection effect (HPV replacement).</p

Il possibile ruolo del castrum di Sant’Antioco (Sardegna, Italia) nel conflitto tra Bizantini e Mauri in Nord Africa tra la prima e la seconda metà del VI secolo

The paper aims to enlight the origin of a defence structure dated to the high Middle Age, originally located near the actual population of the city of Sant’Antioco (Sardinia, Italy) and actually gone. By a study of the archaeological, historical witnesses and the comparison between the architectural peculiarities of the castrum and the survived traces of its homologous structures in Africa, the paper tries to reconstruct what would have been the causes for its construction, proposing to identify them in the conflict between Byzantines and Moors after the Byzantine conquest of Africa during the first half of the VI century A.D

Archeologia del potere nella Sardegna bizantina : una ricerca in corso. I casi di Serri, Uras e Villanovafranca 1

The paper focuses on three contexts of central Sardinia, within the historical districts of Marmilla and Sarcidano: S. Vittoria (Serri), Sa Domu Beccia (Uras) and Su Mulinu (Villanovafranca). The subject of analysis is the relationship between the strategic value of these places in the landscape and the presence of burials, dating from the late 7th to well into the 8th century CE. These graves are related to human groups or families that, through their grave goods, seem to adopt a new ‘language’ linked to the ostentation of their prerogatives

Search for neuroblastoma loci: characterization of tumor cell lines that could facilitate their positional cloning.

Specific chromosomal aberrations might indicate the position of genes responsible for a particular disease. Neuroblastoma is characterized by frequent deletions and/or rearrangements of the subtelomeric 1p region which, accordingly, is believed to host one or more oncosuppressor gene(s) directly or indirectly involved in the development of this and other tumors. Identification of these genes could be facilitated if cell lines with well characterized interstitial deletions or reciprocal translocations could be available for application of ’positional cloning‘ strategies.In the present report we present additional and novel molecular data on three well established neuroblastoma cell lines (NLF, NMB and NGP). In one of these we have identified two sites that might be good candidates for hosting oncosuppressor genes; one of these is flanked by the D1S47 and ENO1 loci while the other is distal to the A12M2 locus