• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.9
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• pp.5287-5291
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• 2013

The human papilloma virus (HPV) causes skin and mucous membrane infections. It crosses from one person to another by skin-to-skin contact, such as sexual contact. There are more than 100 types of HPV that can influence different parts of the body. Some types of HPV can cause cancer (such as cervical or anal cancer) and others can cause warts (such as genital or plantar warts). HPV infection is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Iran and around the world. Considerable molecular evidence suggests a role for human papilloma virus (HPV) in the pathogenesis of carcinoma. Epidemiological studies on human papilloma viruses (HPVs) infections in general population are critical for the performing of health policy guidelines for developing the strategies to hinder the primary and secondary different cancer. In different parts of Iran, there is a lack of population-based studies to determine the prevalence of HPV in the general population. The aim of this population-based study was therefore to report the prevalence ratse of HPV types among Iranian patients. To study the risk of human papilloma virus (HPV) infection, we managed a retrospective study in Kerman province, southeast of Iran. For this purpose, 410 patients tested for the presence of HPV DNA using PCR and INNo-Lipa assays. HPV DNA was detected in 108 out of 410 patients (26.34%), while it was not detected in any of the control group samples. Patients included 23 (21.1%) males and 86 (78.8%) females. HPV type 6 was the most common (49%) followed by HPV type 16 (10.1%), and also HPV type11 (9.2%). The prevalence of HPV in Iran is comparable to those reported in other regions of the world. In a similar manner, it seems that HPV types 6, 16 and11 are the most common types in Kerman. Additional studies on larger group of patients, particularly in those with pre-invasive forms of disease, are needed to explain the roles of different HPV types in this location of Iran.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.19
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• pp.8287-8293
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• 2014

Background: This study assessed human papillomavirus (HPV), cervical cancer, and HPV vaccine knowledge and awareness among women in two sub-populations in Nepal - Khokana, a traditional Newari village in the Lalitpur District about eight kilometers south of Kathmandu, and Sanphebagar, a village development committee within Achham District in rural Far-Western Nepal. Methods: Study participants were recruited during health camps conducted by Nepal Fertility Care Center, a Nepali non-governmental organization. Experienced staff administered a Nepali language survey instrument that included questions on socio-demographics, reproductive health and knowledge on HPV, cervical cancer, and the HPV vaccine. Results: Of the 749 participants, 387 (51.7%) were from Khokana and 362 (48.3%) were from Sanphebagar. Overall, 53.3% (n=372) of women were aware of cervical cancer with a significant difference between Khokana and Sanphebagar (63.3% vs 43.0%; p=0.001). Overall, 15.4% (n=107) of women had heard of HPV and 32% (n=34) of these women reported having heard of the HPV vaccine. If freely available, 77.5% of the women reported willingness to have their children vaccinated against HPV. Factors associated with cervical cancer awareness included knowledge of HPV (Khokana: Odds Ratio (OR)=24.5; (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 3.1-190.2, Sanphebagar: OR=14.8; 95% CI: 3.7-58.4)) and sexually transmitted infections (Khokana: OR=6.18; 95% CI: 3.1-12.4; Sanphebagar: OR=17.0; 95% CI: 7.3-39.7) among other risk factors. Conclusions: Knowledge and awareness of HPV, cervical cancer, and the HPV vaccine remains low among women in Khokana and Sanphebagar. Acceptance of a freely available HPV vaccine for children was high, indicating potentially high uptake rates in these communities.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.329-334
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• 2016

Trichomoniasis caused by Trichomonas vaginalis is a common sexually transmitted disease. Its association with several health problems, including preterm birth, pelvic inflammatory disease, cervical cancer, and transmission of human immunodeficiency virus, emphasizes the importance of improved access to early and accurate detection of T. vaginalis. In this study, a rapid and efficient loop-mediated isothermal amplification-based method for the detection of T. vaginalis was developed and validated, using vaginal swab specimens from subjects suspected to have trichomoniasis. The LAMP assay targeting the actin gene was highly sensitive with detection limits of 1 trichomonad and 1 pg of T. vaginalis DNA per reaction, and specifically amplified the target gene only from T. vaginalis. Validation of this assay showed that it had the highest sensitivity and better agreement with PCR (used as the gold standard) compared to microscopy and multiplex PCR. This study showed that the LAMP assay, targeting the actin gene, could be used to diagnose early infections of T. vaginalis. Thus, we have provided an alternative molecular diagnostic tool and a point-of-care test that may help to prevent trichomoniasis transmission and associated complications.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.15-22
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• 2005

Trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted disease induced by Trichomonas vaginalis, a parasitic protozoan. The symptoms of trichomoniasis are rarely appeared that the infections are distributed worldwide from underdeveloped to developed countries. The diagnosis of trichomoniasis is mainly taken by wet smear following microscopic examination, of which the diagnostic accuracies are poor and varies with the clinicians' experiences. Therefore, more exact and convenient diagnostic methods for T. vaginalis are required. Here, we cloned and expressed recombinant T. vaginalis adhesion protein 33 (rTvAP33) using an E. coli expression system. rTvAP33 was then immunized to rabbit and BALB/c mice for the production of anti-rTvAP33 antibodies. Sandwich ELISA using these antibodies detected T. vaginalis cultured in TYM broth supplemented with ferrous ions. Vagina-parasitizing microorganisms showed low cross-reactivities in this system. These results suggest that Tv AP33 is a good diagnostic target for the detection of TvAP33-expressing T. vaginalis.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.625-630
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• 2016

Background: Despite the established role of the Pap smear test (PST) in prevention and early detection of cervical cancer, it is still rarely practiced in Sudan. Many challenges hinder the establishment of an effective cervical cancer screening program, including socio-cultural factors. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of Sudanese women with regard to the Pap smear test and cervical cancer. Materials and Methods: A total of 500 married women aged 14 to 58 years were recruited from obstetric clinics, hospitals and universities in Khartoum in 2014. Data were collected using a standardized, pretested questionnaire that inquired socio-demographic characteristics and their KAP about cervical cancer and the PST. Results: More than 52% of participating women were above 30 years of age, and the majority (78.8%) were university degree holders. A total of 486 (97.2 %) of participants were resident in urban areas of Khartoum State. However about 48% of the respondents had never heard about PST, and only 15.8% of the participants had undergone a Pap smear test previously; 46.6% (233/500) knew that the human papilloma virus (HPV) was the causative agent, but only 39.2% (196/500) had heard about HPV vaccination, and only 11.4% (57/500) had received the vaccine. However 68% of the respondents agreed to do Pap smear if properly informed about the test and 75.4% of the respondents agreed to participate in a cervical cancer screening program. Conclusions: Despite a high educational level, less than half of our participants had accurate knowledge about cervical cancer, HPV, and cervical cancer screening. Health education about cervical cancer, HPV and sexually transmitted infections and the role of PST in cervical cancer prevention are crucial when designing interventions aimed at improving cervical cancer screening for Sudanese women.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.1521-1525
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• 2014

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections worldwide and the association between HPV infection and genital cancers has been well established. This study concerned the possible role of HPV infection in colorectal carcinoma (CRC) in the Iranian population. Materials and Methods: We examined 80 tissues obtained from patients with colorectal cancer consisting of 58 colon cancer samples and 22 rectal cancer samples and 80 tissues from patients with unremarkable pathologic changes as matched controls by sex, study center and anatomical sites. HPV infection and genotypes were detected using nested PCR and sequencing methods, respectively. Results: HPV DNA was detected in 5/80 (6.25%) cases including 1 of 22 (4.54%) patients with rectum cancer and 4 of 58 (6.9%) patients with colon cancer and 1/80 (1.25%) of controls. Furthermore, HPV-18 was detected as the most frequent type and we found no significant correlation between prevalence of HPV infection and anatomical sub- sites. Conclusions: Although a causal relation between human papillomavirus and colorectal cancer was not found through this study, analysis of medical records pointed to a possible role for high- risk types of HPV in increasing the potential of aggressiveness in colorectal cancer. This study shows a particular frequency of HPV genotypes in patients with colorectal cancer in Iran. Since HPV vaccines are limited to a few types of virus, using cohort studies in different geographical zones to screen for patterns of HPV infection in different organs might increase the efficacy and optimization of the current vaccines.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.3305-3308
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• 2013

Background: The role of inflammation in prostate diseases is suggested by the presence of inflammatory cells within the prostate in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer (PCa) patients. In addition, bacterial and viral infection may lead to chronic and recurrent inflammation of the prostate. The human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are a family of sexually transmitted viruses which have been implicated in the aetiology of cervical cancer and several other malignancies. This study evaluated the frequency of HPV infection in individuals with prostatic disease in Iran. Materials and Methods: The study included formalin fixed paraffin- embedded tissue samples of 196 primary prostate cases, including 29 PCa and 167 BPH samples. HPV DNA was purified and amplified through MY09/MY11 and GP5+/GP6+ primers with nested PCR. All patients were interviewed using a questionnaire to collect demographic information. Results: Nested PCR showed that HPV DNA was found in 17.2 percent of PCa samples and 4.8 percent of BPH samples (not significant). Conclusions: Our data do not support a significant role of HPV infection in prostatic disease in Iranian patients, but demographic data indicated a probable association between presence of HPV DNA and risk of inflammation in prostate tissue which might lead to prostate carcinoma. Further studies are required to elucidate any roles of HPV infection in prostatic disease.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.353-361
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• 2020

Objectives: An inadequate understanding of infertility can affect individuals' self-efficacy and ability to perform self-care; thus, reproductive health education is an important part of infertility treatment. The present qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences and educational needs of infertile women with regard to reproductive health. Methods: In this qualitative study, we utilized a content analysis approach. Purposive sampling was performed to ensure maximum diversity. In total, 23 individual interviews were conducted with 20 Iranian women with infertility and 3 key informants between July 2018 and February 2019 in northern Iran. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was performed using a conventional content analysis approach. Results: Reproductive health education needs were identified by analyzing interview data from 4 main categories: familiarity with the fertility process and preparation for pregnancy, recognition of infertility and expectations around seeking treatment, recognition of preventive actions associated with reproductive health, and correction of false beliefs. Recognizing the causes of infertility and understanding the different approaches to infertility treatment are among the most important educational needs of infertile women. The potential for neglect of health-related issues due to concerns about fertility and the maternal experience necessitates education about preventive measures for cervical cancer, breast cancer, and sexually transmitted infections. Correcting misconceptions, including those related to contraceptives and traditional medicine, can also help promote reproductive health. Conclusions: In infertile women, the educational needs associated with reproductive health are multifaceted. Satisfying these needs can help achieve optimal treatment results and promote reproductive health.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.1367-1375
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• 2018

Silver nanoparticles have been widely applied for biomedical areas owing to their potent antiviral and antibacterial activities. Synthesis of silver nanoparticles using biomacromolecules is more efficient, environment-friendly, and cost-saving compared with the traditional approach. In this paper, a novel approach was developed to establish a reaction system with $Ag^+-BH4^--sericin$ to synthesize silver nanoparticles conjugated to sericin (AgNPs-Sericin). Sericin could be as a good dispersant and stabilizing agent, which is able to modify nanoscaled AgNPs, the average diameter of which was only $3.78{\pm}1.14nm$ prepared in a 0.3 mg/ml sericin solution. The characterizations of the AgNPs-Sericin were determined by FTIR, thermogravimetry, and XRD analyses. The results showed that the synthesized AgNPs conjugated with sericin as organic phase. Via SAED and XRD analysis, we showed that these AgNPs formed polycrystalline powder with a face-centered cubic structure of bulk metals. Moreover, we investigated the antiviral and antibacterial activities of AgNPs-Sericin, and the results showed that AgNPs-Sericin exhibited potent anti-HIV-1 activity against CCR5-tropic and CXCR4-tropic strains, but no significant cytotoxicity was found toward human genital epithelial cells compared with free silver ions, which are accepted as a commonly used potent antimicrobial agent. Moreover, its antibacterial activity was determined via flow cytometry. The results showed that AgNPs-Sericin could suppress gram-negative (E. coli) and gram-positive (S. aureus) bacteria, but more was potent for the gram-negative one. We concluded that our AgNPs-Sericin could be a potential candidate as a microbicide or antimicrobial agent to prevent sexually transmitted infections.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.37-53
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• 2021

Background and objectives: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection globally and is responsible for multiple clinical outcomes, including genital warts and cervical, anal, and oropharyngeal cancers. Despite the well established burden of HPV on both men and women, vaccine uptake among men is critically low in Korea. A preliminary step to combat this issue is to target parents of male adolescents. In the present study, we aimed to assess any change observed in parents' HPV knowledge and attitudes towards male HPV and subsequent willingness to vaccinate their sons following an HPV educational intervention. Methods: On November 14, 2020, a one-time HPV educational session was conducted and parents (n=136) completed self-administered pre-/post-test questionnaires that included previously validated survey items. Paired t-tests were used to evaluate change in HPV-related knowledge, attitudes and intent for HPV vaccination. Results: Following the intervention, participants reported increased scores in HPV and vaccine related knowledge by approximately 4 and 1.5 points, respectively (p<.001). Parents scored higher on perceived benefits of the vaccine, perceived social influence on vaccination decision and perceived severity of diseases caused by HPV infections, whereas lower scores were observed for perceived harm of the vaccine, and difficulties communicating with their sons about sex and HPV vaccination. Following the intervention, those without the intent to vaccinate their sons significantly decreased and those who intended to vaccinate their sons though not in the next six months significantly increased (χ2=33.045, p<.001) Conclusion: Our educational intervention resulted in an increase in HPV-related knowledge with a positive impact on parents' attitudes toward male HPV vaccination. We expect that this study can serve as a pivotal reference to promote the unexplored issue of HPV vaccination among male adolescents in Korea.