• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.1497-1500
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• 2014

Cervical cancer continues to be an important public health problem in Thailand. While the high risk human papillomavirus (HPV) types have been established as the principle causative agent of both malignancies and the precursor lesions, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), other factors may also be involved like other sexually transmitted diseases, as well as smoking. Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular Gramnegative bacterium which has a tendency to cause chronic infection featuring inflammation and therefore might be expected to increase the risk of cervical cancer. In the present nested case-control study, 61 cases of cervical cancer and 288 matched controls with original serum samples were identified from the Khon Kaen Cohort, established in the North-East of Thailand, by linkage to the Khon Kaen population based cancer registry. C. trachomatis specific IgG antibodies at recruitment were measured by microimmunofluorescence and assessed for association with cervical cancer using STATA release10. No significant link was noted either with all cancers or after removal of adenocarcinomas. The results suggest no association between Chlamydia infection and cervical cancer development in North-East Thailand, but possible influencing factors must be considered in any future research on this topic.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.350-354
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• 2008

In order to investigate the prevalence of sexually transmitted viruses such as human papillomavirus (HPV) and herpes simplex virus (HSV) in Korean commercial sex workers (CSWs), we selected 188 CSWs (age range 20-44 years, median age 24 years) who regularly visited one public health center in Seoul, Korea. HPV genotypes were analyzed by using a HPV DNA Chip, and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect type-specific IgG against HSV2 antibody identifying seropositivity for HSV2 infection. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed with specific primers to detect HPV and HSV1/2 in cervical swabs from the CSWs. The prevalence of HPV infection was 83.5% in 188 cervical swab specimens and the main high-risk HPV genotypes were HPV16, 18, 56, and 58. The principal low-risk HPV genotypes were HPV6 and 11. The prevalence of HSV1/2 DNA was 13.8% and HSV2 seroprevalence was 86.2%. These results suggest that high frequencies of HPV and HSV2 infection might contribute to the rapid spread of STD viruses in CSWs in Korea. Additionally, an understanding of why high-risk HPV genotypes are so prevalent could provide guidelines for prophylactic vaccine development in Korea.

• 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.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.44 no.2 s.138
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• pp.101-116
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• 2006

Vaginal trichomoniasis, caused by Trichomonas vaginalis, is the most common sexually transmitted disease. More than 170 million people worldwide are annually infected by this protozoan. In the Republic of Korea, 10.4% of women complaining of vaginal symptoms and signs were found to be infected with T. vagina/is. However, despite its high prevalence, the pathogenesis of T. vaginalis infection has not been clearly characterized although neutrophil infiltration is considered to be primarily responsible for the cytologic changes associated with this infection. We hypothesized that trichomonads in the vagina sometime after an acute infection secrete proteins like excretory-secretory product that have a chemotactic effect on neutrophils, and that these neutrophils are further stimulated by T. vaginalis to produce chemokines like IL-8 and $GRO-\alpha$, which further promote neutrophil recruitment and chemotaxis. Thus, neutrophil accumulation is believed to maintain or aggravate inflammation. However, enhanced neutrophil apoptosis induced by live T. vaginalis could contribute to resolution of inflammation. Macrophages may constitute an important component of host defense against T. vaginalis infection. For example, mouse macrophages alone and those activated by lymphokines or nitric oxide are known to be involved in the extracellular killing of T. vaginalis. In the host, T. vaginalis uses a capping phenomenon to cleave host immunoglobulins with proteinases and thus escape from host immune responses. Recently, we developed a highly sensitive and specific diagnostic polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique using primers based on a repetitive sequence cloned from T. vaginalis (TV-E650), and found that the method enables the detection of T. vaginalis at concentrations as low as 1 cell per PCR mixture.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.3953-3958
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• 2016

Prostatic cancer is the second cause of cancer-related death among men worldwide. The human papilloma viruses (HPVs) are a family of sexually transmitted viruses which have may have roles in the ethiology of inflammation in prostate leading to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer (PCa). In this study, we evaluated the frequency of different HPV types in prostatic cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in Kerman province, southeast of Iran, using real-time PCR techniques. The aim of the present research was to clarify any association with prostatic carcinogenesis. Real Time PCR showed that HPV DNA was found in 20% of 200 PCa samples, 80 percent of these with high-risk HPV types, 40% with type-16,18, 30 % type-31,33 and 10% type 54. High risk HPV DNA was detected in only 2% of BPH samples. Values for low risk types were much higher. Our study provided a support for the role of high risk HPV infection in prostatic disease in Iranian patients, and association between presence of HPV DNA and prostate carcinoma. In particular, HPV 16 and18 might have an important role in prostate cancer.

• The Journal of Korean Medical History
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.87-96
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• 2015

In this study, we investigated advertisements in Dong-a newspaper about gynecological drugs between 1920 and 1945 and analyzed the awareness of women's health and disease during the Japanese Colonial Rule. The advertisements included leukorrhea, oligomenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, feeling of cold, sterility, hysteria, and sexually transmitted infection and identified inattentive menstruation, improper intercourse, poor pre- and post-natal care as the cause for illness. This study includes the following limitations; it only analysed advertisements from Dong-a newspaper, and most of the drugs were manufactured in Japan and might not accurately reflect the health and disease of Korean women. Suggested future studies may include analysis of institute magazine and Japanese news advertisements during this period.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.216-219
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• 2023

Neisseria gonorrhoeae is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the world and is known to cause disseminated disease, most commonly tenosynovitis. Classically, gonorrhea-associated tenosynovitis presents with concomitant dermatitis and arthralgias, though this is not always the case. N. gonorrhoeae-related tenosynovitis has become more commonly seen by hand surgeons. To aid in management, we present three cases of gonorrhea-induced tenosynovitis spanning a range of presentations with variable treatments to demonstrate the variety of patients with this disease. Only one of our patients had a positive gonococcal screening test and no patient had purulent urethritis, the most common gonorrhea-related symptom. A separate patient had the classic triad of tenosynovitis, dermatitis, and arthralgias. Two patients underwent operative irrigation and debridement, and one was managed with anti-gonococcal antibiotics alone. Though gonorrhea is a rare cause of flexor tenosynovitis, it must always be on the differential for hand surgeons when they encounter this diagnosis. Taking an appropriate sexual history and performing routine screening tests can assist in the diagnosis, the prescription of appropriate antibiotics, and potentially avoiding an unnecessary operation.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.1755-1760
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• 2013

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of genital high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) in male sexual partners of HR-HPV infected women and the concordance of viral types in couples in China, and comprehend the role of men play in HPV transmission to women. Methods/Materials: 94 asymptomatic women and their husbands from rural Chaozhou participated in epidemiologic screening for HPV infection. Cervical cells from females were collected for high risk HPV screening by real time-PCR, and they were positive for at least 1 of 13 HR-HPV subtypes, then these samples were genotyped. Approximately one mouth later, penile epithelial cells from 94 asymptomatic husbands were collected for HPV genotyping. At the same time, a cross-sectional study was conducted in 366 male patients from sexually transmitted disease (STD) outpatient clinic in China for the prevalence of genital HR-HPV infection in men having frequent sex behavior. Penial epithelial cells were collected for HPV 6/11 and HPV 16/18 detection by fluorescent real-time quantified PCR. Results: Among 94 couples, the prevalence of genital HR-HPV infection in men whose wife was positive for cervical HR-HPV was 5.32% (5/94). Only 2.63% (2/76) had the same high risk viral type presented by their wife. HPV 16 proved to be the most prevalent viral type in men and in couples. Of 366 male patients from STD outpatient clinic, the prevalence of HPV 16/18 infection in men with or without HPV 6/11 was 6.85% and 8.16%, respectively. The incidence of HPV 16/18 was higher in men aged more than 35 years than the young men (18-35 years). Conclusion: The prevalence of genital HR-HPV infection in male sexual partners of HPV-positive women in China was lower than that expected, and the concordance of high risk viral type between couples was extremely low. These data suggested that infected men consitute an important viral reservoir, contributing to transmission of HR-HPV to women and maintenance of infection, but HR-HPV infection may be less likely to persist in men than in women.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.123-132
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• 2016

Trichomonas vaginalis causes the most prevalent sexually transmitted infection worldwide. Trichomonads have been detected in prostatic tissues from prostatitis, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and prostate cancer. Chronic prostatic inflammation is known as a risk factor for prostate enlargement, benign prostatic hyperplasia symptoms, and acute urinary retention. Our aim was to investigate whether T. vaginalis could induce inflammatory responses in cells of a benign prostatic hyperplasia epithelial cell line (BPH-1). When BPH-1 cells were infected with T. vaginalis, the protein and mRNA of inflammatory cytokines, such as CXCL8, CCL2, IL-$1{\beta}$, and IL-6, were increased. The activities of TLR4, ROS, MAPK, JAK2/STAT3, and NF-${\kappa}B$ were also increased, whereas inhibitors of ROS, MAPK, PI3K, NF-${\kappa}B$, and anti-TLR4 antibody decreased the production of the 4 cytokines although the extent of inhibition differed. However, a JAK2 inhibitor inhibited only IL-6 production. Culture supernatants of the BPH-1 cells that had been incubated with live T. vaginalis (trichomonad-conditioned medium, TCM) contained the 4 cytokines and induced the migration of human monocytes (THP-1 cells) and mast cells (HMC-1 cells). TCM conditioned by BPH-1 cells pretreated with NF-${\kappa}B$ inhibitor showed decreased levels of cytokines and induced less migration. Therefore, it is suggested that these cytokines are involved in migration of inflammatory cells. These results suggest that T. vaginalis infection of BPH patients may cause inflammation, which may induce lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.6115-6119
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• 2012

Introduction: Increasing prevalence of human papilloma virus (HPV) infection and its association with cervical cancer as a leading cause of death make it necessary to evaluate and improve the public knowledge, especially of university students, about this cause of disease. Methods: A cross-sectional study of knowledge and attitude of a total 669 students from Tabriz University of Medical Sciences was therefore performed with a modified validated questionnaire, arranged into 5 parts and containing 55 questions, in July 2011. Questions were directed to study socio-demographic characteristics of the participant, knowledge about HPV disease, transmission route, relationship with cervical cancer, predisposing factors, and participants attitude toward people with HPV infection. Results: All of the participants were Moslem with a mean age $25.6{\pm}5.33$ years of age. All of the participants had heard of HPV, and acquired their knowledge through university courses (90.6%); the majority of them knew that HPV is a sexually transmitted disease and a potential cause for genital warts but general knowledge about details was not high. Mean knowledge score of residents and post graduate midwifery and nursing students was high as compared to other groups (P<0.001). Statements that indicated the presence of fear to communicate with people suffering HPV and people's avoidance to rely on babysitting of these patients were observed. Educational level (${\beta}$=0.21, P<0.001), age (${\beta}$=0.18, P=0.002,) and smoking (${\beta}$=-0.11, P=0.006) were predicted to effect knowledge. Conclusions: Moderate level of knowledge about HPV among medical university students makes it necessary to set effective national public health efforts on HPV education and prevention considering he excess of young population in Iran vulnerable to cervical cancer.