High-Risk and Low-Risk Human Papillomavirus in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma at Mazandaran, Northern Iran

Cancers are the second most common cause of nonaccidental deaths in Iran, following cardiovascular deaths. Mazandaran, near the Caspian Littoral at north of Iran have identified as a several-high incidence area for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (ESCC) in the world. Several associated risk factors, such as dietary and cultural habits, infectious agents, nutritional deficiencies, too much use of tobacco and alcohol and infection to certain DNA tumor viruses (HPVs), including environmental and genetic factors are attributed to this disease. To explore this issue, we analyzed HPV DNA prevalence and HPV types together in relation to tumor sites a high-incidence population. Archived tissue blocks from 46, 69 and 62 upper, middle and lower third of esophagus, respectively from ESCC patients were evaluated for the presence of HPV DNA by PCR using the degenerate HPV L1 consensus primer pairs MY09/MY11. The positive specimens were evaluated by Real-time PCR to determine HPV genotypes. From the 49 HPV positive cases, of ESCC patients, 5 (23.1%), 11 (55 %) and 9 (56.3 %) of upper, middle and lower third of ESCC specimens, respectively were positive by at least one high and one low-risk HPV genotypes. In general, HPV45 and HPV11 were the most common high- risk and low-risk HPV genotypes in HPV L1 positive cases, respectively, followed by HPV6, HPV52 and HPV39. Therefore, the high prevalence of HPV DNA in different anatomical sites of ESCC patients from the Mazandaran region in North of Iran provides more evidence for a role of HPV in this cancer

Primary Human mDC1, mDC2, and pDC Dendritic Cells Are Differentially Infected and Activated by Respiratory Syncytial Virus

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes recurrent infections throughout life. Vaccine development may depend upon understanding the molecular basis for induction of ineffective immunity. Because dendritic cells (DCs) are critically involved in early responses to infection, their interaction with RSV may determine the immunological outcome of RSV infection. Therefore, we investigated the ability of RSV to infect and activate primary mDCs and pDCs using recombinant RSV expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP). At a multiplicity of infection of 5, initial studies demonstrated ∼6.8% of mDC1 and ∼0.9% pDCs were infected. We extended these studies to include CD1c−CD141+ mDC2, finding mDC2 infected at similar frequencies as mDC1. Both infected and uninfected cells upregulated phenotypic markers of maturation. Divalent cations were required for infection and maturation, but maturation did not require viral replication. There is evidence that attachment and entry/replication processes exert distinct effects on DC activation. Cell-specific patterns of RSV-induced maturation and cytokine production were detected in mDC1, mDC2, and pDC. We also demonstrate for the first time that RSV induces significant TIMP-2 production in all DC subsets. Defining the influence of RSV on the function of selected DC subsets may improve the likelihood of achieving protective vaccine-induced immunity