KARCINOM JAJNIKA: MOŽEMO LI GA RANIJE OTKRITI?

Ovarian cancer is the fourth most common gynecological malignancy in Croatia. Reasons for high fatality rates are the rapid growth of cancer and the late presentation of nonspecific symptoms in its advanced stage. Survival rates are significantly improved if cancer is detected early, while still in its localized stage. Screening the general population with the Ca-125 tumor marker and transvaginal ultrasound is not recommended at this time. Although there are no routine diagnostic techniques, early detection of ovarian carcinoma can be significantly improved with early recognition and objectivisation of nonspecific symptoms, analysis of potential biomarkers, as well as the use of multimodal tests

A multi-centre evaluation of oral cancer in Southern and Western Nigeria: an African oral pathology research consortium initiative

INTRODUCTION: Oral cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths among African populations. Lack of standard cancer registries and under-reporting has inaccurately depicted its magnitude in Nigeria. Development of multi-centre collaborative oral pathology networks such as the African Oral Pathology Research Consortium (AOPRC) facilitates skill and expertise exchange and fosters a robust and systematic investigation of oral diseases across Africa. METHODS: in this descriptive cross-sectional study, we have leveraged the auspices of the AOPRC to examine the burden of oral cancer in Nigeria, using a multi-centre approach. Data from 4 major tertiary health institutions in Western and Southern Nigeria was generated using a standardized data extraction format and analysed using the SPSS data analysis software (version 20.0; SPSS Inc. Chicago, IL). RESULTS: Of the 162 cases examined across the 4 centres, we observed that oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) occurred mostly in the 6th and 7th decades of life and maxillary were more frequent than mandibular OSCC lesions. Regional variations were observed both for location, age group and gender distribution. Significant regional differences was found between poorly, moderately and well differentiated OSCC (p value = 0.0071). CONCLUSION: A multi-centre collaborative oral pathology research approach is an effective way to achieve better insight into the patterns and distribution of various oral diseases in men of African descent. The wider outlook for AOPRC is to employ similar approaches to drive intensive oral pathology research targeted at addressing the current morbidity and mortality of various oral diseases across Africa.Scopu

Comparative assessment of insect pests population densities of three selected cucurbit crops

Received: 2016-09-05 | Accepted: 2016-12-21 | Available online: 2017-12-31http://dx.doi.org/10.15414/afz.2017.20.04.78-83The study on the relative abundance of insect pests is a critical factor for a successful implementation of insect pest management program. Therefore, this experiment was conducted to compare the intensity of insect infestations among the selected three cucurbit crops (Cucumber, Egusi melon and Watermelon). The experiment was set up at Teaching and Research Farm Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso in a Randomized Complete Block Design replicated three times. Significant difference was observed in the tested crops in respect to insect population density on leaf, flower and fruit. Among the tested crops, watermelon was observed to be the most susceptible to the observed insects meanwhile the cucumber had the least insect infestation rate 0.00 at P < 0.05. Also the insect infestation was low as the maturity of the leaves increased. The population density of flea beetle (Phyllotreta cruciferea) and spotted beetle (Diabrotica undecimpunctata) were observed to be relatively higher at vegetative stage and decreased at flowering stages while Dacus cucubitae caused significant economic damage during the fruiting stage to watermelon, melon and cucumber fruits (33.3, 20.0  and 1.0) respectively. This research work demonstrated that control of insect pests should be initiated at each growing stage of the selected crops.Keywords: Cucumber, Dacus cucubitae, Pyllotreta cruciferae, watermelon, melonReferencesAFZAL, M. and BASHIR, M.H. (2007) Influence of certain leaf characters of some summervegetables with incidence of predatory mites of the family cunaxidae. Pak. J. Bot., vol. 39, pp. 205–209.ALLWOOD, A. J. et al. (1999) Host plant records for fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Southeast Asia. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, vol. 47, pp. 1–92; 26.ALAO, F. O. and ADEBAYO, T. A. (2015) Comparative efficacy of Tephrosia vogelii and Moringa oleifera against insect pests of watermelon (Citrulus lanatus Thumb). International letters of natural sciences, vol. 36, pp. 71–78. doi: https://doi.org/10.18052/www.scipress.com/ilcpa.51.5 BOWYER, P. et al. (1995) Host range of a plant pathogenic fungus determined by a saponin detoxifying enzyme. Science, vol. 267, pp. 371–374. doi: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.7824933 CLANCY, K. M. et al. (1988b) Variation in host foliage nutrient concentrations in relation to western spruce budworm herbivory. Can. J. For. Res., vol. 18, pp. 530–539. doi: https://doi.org/10.1139/x88-077 DHILLON, M. K. et al. ( 2005) Influence of physico-chemical traits of bitter gourd, Momordica charantia L. on larval density and resistance to melon fruit fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillett). Journal of Applied Entomology, vol.129, pp. 393–399. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0418.2005.00911.x DIXON, R. A. et al. (1996) Metabolic engineering: prospects for crop improvement through the genetic manipulation of phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and defense responses–a review. Gene, vol. 179, pp. 61–71. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/s0378-1119(96)00327-7 FAO (2006) FAOSTAT Agriculture Data [Internet] Available from: http://apps.fao.org/page/collections?subset=agriculture. [Accessed 2006].FELKL, G. et al. (2005) Tolerance and antibiosis resistance to cabbage root fly in vegetable Brassica species. Entomol. Exp. Appl., vol. 116, pp. 65–71. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1570-7458.2005.00312.x GOGI, M. D. et al. (2010). Screening of better gourd (momordica charantia) germplasm for resistance against melon fruit fly (Bactrocera cucurbitae) in Pakistan. International Journal of Agricultural Biology, vol. 11, pp. 746–750.HOCH, H. et al. (1987) Signaling for growth orientation and cell differentiation by surface topography in Uromyces. Science, vol. 235, pp. 1659–1662. doi: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.235.4796.1659 ISMAIL, H. I. et al. (2010) Phenolic content and antioxidant activity of cantaloupe (Cucumis melo) methanolic extracts. Food Chemistry, vol. 119, pp. 643–647. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2009.07.023  KENNEDY, G. G. and BARBOUR, J. G. (1992). Resistance variation in natural and managed systems. In: Fritz, R. S. and Simms, E. L. (eds.) Plant resistance to herbivores and pathogens: ecology, evolution, and genetics. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press, pp. 13–41.OYETUNJI, O. E. et al. (2014) Antixenotic and Antibiotic Mechanisms of Resistance to African Rice Gall Midge in Nigeria. Trends in Applied Sciences Research, vol. 9, pp. 174–186. doi: https://doi.org/10.3923/tasr.2014.174.186 PARACHNOWITSCH, A. L. et al. (2012). Phenotypic selection to increase floral scent emission, but not flower size or colour in bee-pollinated Penstemon digitalis. New Phytol., vol. 195, pp. 667–675. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2012.04188.x SHARMA, H. C. et al. (2009) Morphological and chemical components of resistance to pod borer, Helicoverpa armigera in wild relatives of pigeonpea. Arthropod-Plant Interactions, vol. 3, pp. 151–161. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11829-009-9068-5 SIMMONS, A. T. and GURR, G. M. (2004) Trichome-based host plant resistance of Lycopersicon species and the biocontrol agent Mallada signata: Are they compatible?. Entomol Exp Appl, vol. 113, pp. 95–101. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0013-8703.2004.00210.x SMITH, C. M. and Clement, S. L. (2012) Molecular bases of plant resistance to arthropods. Annual Review of Entomology, vol. 57, pp. 309–328.STOTZ, H. U. et al. (2000) Induced plant defense responses against chewing insects. Ethylene signaling reduces resistance of Arabidopsis against Egyptian cotton worm but not diamondback moth. Plant Physiology, vol. 124, pp. 1007–1018. doi: https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.124.3.100

Assessment of varietal diversity and production systems of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) in Southwest Nigeria

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) is the most important source of plant protein consumed in Nigeria with major supplies coming from the northern part of the country. However, reduction in supplies due to insurgency resulted in sharp increases in price, especially in Southwest Nigeria where cowpea is relished in different delicacies. Sustainable production increase in suitable Southwest agro-ecologies depends on suitability of cultivated varieties and production practices of the farmers. A study was conducted to identify cowpea varieties cultivated by farmers, the varietal attributes, farmers’ preferences, and production constraints. Data were generated through a farm survey of 120 farmers selected by multi-stage sampling technique in Ondo and Oyo States of Southwest Nigeria. Cowpea production was male dominated, with 20.8 % of cultivated area allocated to its production, averaging 0.96 ha per farm household, fragmented over circa three locations. Local varieties were cultivated by 51.6 % of the farmers with seeds sourced mainly from local markets (62.7 %). Cowpea was mainly cultivated as intercrop (55.1 %) notably with cassava. Herbicides and insecticides were prominently used by the farmers while fertiliser was hardly used for cowpea production (12.8 %). Notable attributes cherished by farmers included brown or white coat colour, smooth texture and medium sized grains, erect or creeping growth pattern, and long pod length. Average yield of cowpea on farmers’ field was 530 kg ha−1 while inadequate access to quality seeds, incidence of field insect pests, and rodents (storage pest) were identified as the most severe production constraints by the farmers. Community-based seed production systems should be introduced for improved access to quality seed

Circulating HPV DNA as a Biomarker for Pre-Invasive and Early Invasive Cervical Cancer: A Feasibility Study

BACKGROUND: High-risk HPV infection is responsible for >99% of cervix cancers (CC). In persistent infections that lead to cancer, the tumour breaches the basement membrane, releasing HPV-DNA into the bloodstream (cHPV-DNA). A next-generation sequencing assay (NGS) for detection of plasma HPV circulating DNA (cHPV-DNA) has demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity in patients with locally advanced cervix cancers. We hypothesised that cHPV-DNA is detectable in early invasive cervical cancers but not in pre-invasive lesions (CIN). METHODS: Blood samples were collected from patients with CIN (n = 52) and FIGO stage 1A-1B CC (n = 12) prior to treatment and at follow-up. DNA extraction from plasma, followed by NGS, was used for the detection of cHPV-DNA. RESULTS: None of the patients with pre-invasive lesions were positive for CHPV-DNA. In invasive tumours, plasma from one patient (10%) reached the threshold of positivity for cHPV-DNA in plasma. CONCLUSION: Low detection of cHPV-DNA in early CC may be explained by small tumour size, poorer access to lymphatics and circulation, and therefore little shedding of cHPV-DNA in plasma at detectable levels. The detection rate of cHPV-DNA in patients with early invasive cervix cancer using even the most sensitive of currently available technologies lacks adequate sensitivity for clinical utility

Plasma cell-free DNA methylation analysis for ovarian cancer detection: Analysis of samples from a case-control study and an ovarian cancer screening tria

Analysis of cell-free DNA methylation (cfDNAme), alone or combined with CA125, could help to detect ovarian cancers earlier and may reduce mortality. We assessed cfDNAme in regions of ZNF154, C2CD4D and WNT6 via targeted bisulfite sequencing in diagnostic and early detection (preceding diagnosis) settings. Diagnostic samples were obtained via prospective blood collection in cell-free DNA tubes in a convenience series of patients with a pelvic mass. Early detection samples were matched case-control samples derived from the UK Familial Ovarian Cancer Screening Study (UKFOCSS). In the diagnostic set (ncases  = 27, ncontrols  = 41), the specificity of cfDNAme was 97.6% (95% CI: 87.1%-99.9%). High-risk cancers were detected with a sensitivity of 80% (56.3%-94.3%). Combination of cfDNAme and CA125 resulted in a sensitivity of 94.4% (72.7%-99.9%) for high-risk cancers. Despite technical issues in the early detection set (ncases  = 29, ncontrols  = 29), the specificity of cfDNAme was 100% (88.1%-100.0%). We detected 27.3% (6.0%-61.0%) of high-risk cases with relatively lower genomic DNA (gDNA) contamination. The sensitivity rose to 33.3% (7.5%-70.1%) in samples taken <1 year before diagnosis. We detected ovarian cancer in several patients up to 1 year before diagnosis despite technical limitations associated with archival samples (UKFOCSS). Combined cfDNAme and CA125 assessment may improve ovarian cancer screening in high-risk populations, but future large-scale prospective studies will be required to validate current findings

The WID-EC test for the detection and risk prediction of endometrial cancer

The incidence of endometrial cancer is rising. Measures to identify women at risk and to detect endometrial cancer earlier are required to reduce the morbidity triggered by the aggressive treatment required for advanced endometrial cancer. We developed the WID-EC (Women's cancer risk IDentification-Endometrial Cancer) test, which is based on DNA methylation at 500 CpG sites, in a discovery set of cervical liquid-based cytology samples from 1,086 women with and without an endometrial cancer (217 cancer cases and 869 healthy controls) with a worse prognosis (grade 3 or ≥stage IB). We validated the WID-EC test in an independent external validation set of 64 endometrial cancer cases and 225 controls. We further validated the test in 150 healthy women (prospective set) who provided a cervical sample as part of the routine Swedish cervical screening programme, 54 of whom developed endometrial cancer within three years of sample collection. The WID-EC test identified women with endometrial cancer with a receiver operator characteristic area under the curve (AUC) of 0.92 (95% CI: 0.88-0.97) in the external set and of 0.82 (95% CI: 0.74-0.89) in the prospective validation set. Using an optimal cutoff, cancer cases were detected with a sensitivity of 86% and a specificity of 90% in the external validation set, and a sensitivity and specificity of 52% and 98% respectively in the prospective validation set. The WID-EC test can identify women with or at risk of endometrial cancer

A Simple Cervicovaginal Epigenetic Test for Screening and Rapid Triage of Women With Suspected Endometrial Cancer: Validation in Several Cohort and Case/Control Sets

PURPOSEEndometrial cancer (EC) incidence has been rising over the past 10 years. Delays in diagnosis reduce survival and necessitate more aggressive treatment. We aimed to develop and validate a simple, noninvasive, and reliable triage test for EC to reduce the number of invasive diagnostic procedures and improve patient survival.METHODSWe developed a test to screen and triage women with suspected EC using 726 cervical smear samples from women with and without EC, and validated the test in 562 cervicovaginal samples using three different collection methods (cervical smear: n = 248; vaginal swab: n = 63; and self-collection: n = 251) and four different settings (case/control: n = 388; cohort of women presenting with postmenopausal bleeding: n = 63; a cohort of high-risk women with Lynch syndrome: n = 25; and a nested case/control setting from a screening cohort and samples taken up to 3 years before EC diagnosis: n = 86).RESULTSWe describe the Women's cancer risk IDentification - quantitative polymerase chain reaction test for Endometrial Cancer (WID-qEC), a three-marker test that evaluates DNA methylation in gene regions of GYPC and ZSCAN12. In cervical, self-collected, and vaginal swab samples derived from symptomatic patients, it detected EC with sensitivities of 97.2% (95% CI, 90.2 to 99.7), 90.1% (83.6 to 94.6), and 100% (63.1 to 100), respectively, and specificities of 75.8% (63.6 to 85.5), 86.7% (79.3 to 92.2), and 89.1% (77.8 to 95.9), respectively. The WID-qEC identified 90.9% (95% CI, 70.8 to 98.9) of EC cases in samples predating diagnosis up to 1 year. Test performance was similar across menopausal status, age, stage, grade, ethnicity, and histology.CONCLUSIONThe WID-qEC is a noninvasive reliable test for triage of women with symptoms suggestive of ECs. Because of the potential for self-collection, it could improve early diagnosis and reduce the reliance for in-person visits

The immune system of the female genital tract: The effects of human immunodeficiency virus infection

This project was designed to investigate the immune function of the healthy female cervix and to determine how this may be affected in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease. Immunohistochemical, in situ hybridisation and polymerase chain reaction techniques were applied to determine the distribution of immunocompetent cells, the cytokine profile and HIV load in cervical biopsies obtained at colposcopy from 40 HIV-positive and 20 HIV-negative women. The findings were correlated with peripheral immune status, as determined by peripheral CD4 lymphocyte count and HIV load. Cervical biopsy sections from HIV-positive women showed significantly decreased Langerhans' cell counts in the epithelium and significantly increased T lymphocytes in the sub-epithelial stroma compared with HIV-negative women. There was an increase in CD8+ lymphocytes in sections from HIV-positive women, leading to an inversion of the CD4/CD8 ratio compared with HIV-negative women. The majority of these CD8+ cells were 'primed' (CD45ro+) but they showed a reduced expression of cytolytic granules (perforin negative, low TIA-1) and impaired survival ability (Bcl-2 low). These changes occurred in advance of systemic immunosuppression. The cervical biopsy sections from HIV-infected women had decreased mRNA for the Th-1 cytokine, Interleukin-2 (IL-2) and increased IL-4, IL-5, IL-10 mRNA (Th-2 cytokines) compared with HIV-negative women, but there was no significant difference in Interferon-y mRNA. Viral load studies showed a higher HIV in cervical tissue than in serum. There was no correlation between HIV disease stage and cervical cytokine mRNA or viral load. These observations suggest that HIV-infected women mount an impaired cytotoxic lymphocyte response at a local level which may affect their ability to resist genital tract infections and cervical neoplastic change. Increased production of inhibitory cytokines (IL-4 and IL-10) may, in part, account for the chronicity of the virus in cervical tissues. High viral load in cervical tissues may contribute to the high risk of vertical transmission in the peripartum period

Updates on HPV Vaccination

Cervical cancer still poses a significant global challenge. Developed countries have mitigated this challenge by the introduction of structured screening programmes and, more recently, the HPV vaccine. Countries that have successfully introduced national HPV vaccination programmes are on course for cervical cancer elimination in a few decades. In developing countries that lack structured screening and HPV vaccination programmes, cervical cancer remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality. The HPV vaccine is key to addressing the disproportionate distribution of cervical cancer incidence, with much to be gained from increasing vaccine coverage and uptake globally. This review covers the history and science of the HPV vaccine, its efficacy, effectiveness and safety, and some of the considerations and challenges posed to the achievement of global HPV vaccination coverage and the consequent elimination of cervical cancer