Bonafide, type-specific human papillomavirus persistence among HIV-positive pregnant women: predictive value for cytological abnormalities, a longitudinal cohort study

This study investigated the rate of human papillomavirus (HPV) persistence, associated risk factors, and predictors of cytological alteration outcomes in a cohort of human immunodeficiency virus-infected pregnant women over an 18-month period. HPV was typed through L1 gene sequencing in cervical smears collected during gestation and at 12 months after delivery. Outcomes were defined as nonpersistence (clearance of the HPV in the 2nd sample), re-infection (detection of different types of HPV in the 2 samples), and type-specific HPV persistence (the same HPV type found in both samples). An unfavourable cytological outcome was considered when the second exam showed progression to squamous intraepithelial lesion or high squamous intraepithelial lesion. Ninety patients were studied. HPV DNA persistence occurred in 50% of the cases composed of type-specific persistence (30%) or re-infection (20%). A low CD4+ T-cell count at entry was a risk factor for type-specific, re-infection, or HPV DNA persistence. The odds ratio (OR) was almost three times higher in the type-specific group when compared with the re-infection group (OR = 2.8; 95% confidence interval: 0.43-22.79). Our findings show that bonafide (type-specific) HPV persistence is a stronger predictor for the development of cytological abnormalities, highlighting the need for HPV typing as opposed to HPV DNA testing in the clinical setting.

Cloning of the ω-secalin gene family in a wheat 1BL/1RS translocation line using BAC clone sequencing

Background: Wheat 1BL/1RS translocation lines are planted around the world for their disease resistance and high yield. Most of them are poor in bread making, which is partially caused by ω-secalins that are encoded by the ω-secalin gene family, which is located on the short arm of rye chromosome 1R (1RS). However, information on the structure and evolution of the ω-secalin gene family is still limited. Results: We first generated a physicalmap of the ω-secalin gene family covering 195 kb of the Sec-1 locus based on sequencing three bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones of the 1BL/1RS translocation wheat cultivar Shimai 15. A BAC contig was constructed spanning 168 kb of the Sec-1 locus on 1RS. Twelve ω-secalin genes were arranged in a head-to-tail fashion, separated by 8.2–21.6 kb spacers on the contig, whereas six other ω-secalin genes were arranged head-to-tail, separated by 8.2–8.4 kb of spacers on clone BAC125. The 18 ω-secalin genes can be classified into six types among which eight ω-secalin genes were expressed during seed development. The ω-secalin genes with the 1074-bp open reading frame (ORF) represented the main population. Except for two pseudogenes, the N-terminal of the ω-secalin gene was conserved, whereas variations in the C-terminal led to a change in ORF length. The spacers can be sorted into two classes. Class-1 spacers contained conserved and non-conservative sequences. Conclusion: The ω-secalin gene family consisted of at least 18 members in the 1BL/1RS translocation line cv. Shimai 15. Eight ω-secalin genes were expressed during seed development. Eighteen members may originate from a progenitor with a 1,074-bp ORF. The spacers differed in length and sequence conservation.