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Cancer is a genomic disease associated with accumulation of genetic damage. Cancer-initiating events, such as chromosome breakage, loss and rearrangement, can be used as biomarkers to evaluate individual cancer risk. Cytokinesis-block micronucleus cytome (CBMN - Cyt) assay parameters in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) of thirty four patients diagnosed with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) and fifteen healthy women were measured. The genomic instability of patients diagnosed with HSIL were investigated in order to compare differences between the two subgroups of HSIL (CIN 2 and CIN 3). The micronucleus (MN) frequencies in PBL, as well as the frequencies of nucleoplasmic bridges (NPB) and nuclear buds (NBUD) were higher in patients than in controls (Mann- Whitney test, p < 0.05). These results provide evidence that CBMN cytome assay in peripheral blood lymphocytes may be used to identify individuals who are at high risk of developing cervical cancer. Since the extent of DNA damage varies between CIN 2 and CIN 3, these findings support the CIN grading system.

The loss of genomic stability plays an important role in carcinogenesis. Therefore, it is imperative to use certain biomarkers of DNA damage due to genomic instability in order to predict cancer risk. The aim of this study was the evaluation of genomic instability in patients with cervical lesions.We investigated the genetic damages in 80 subjects: 40 patients with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL), 20 patients with invasive squamous cervical cancer (SCC) and 20 healthy women with a biomarker in two different tissues; the micronucleus (MN) test in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL), and in buccal exfoliated cells (BEC). This study also examined the frequency of other nuclear anomalies such as nucleoplasmic bridges (NPBs) and nuclear bunds (NBUDs) in PBL.The frequency of MN in BEC, MN in PBL, NPB in PBL and NBUD in PBL were significantly higher (p 0.001), in patients compared to controls. The DNA damages in BEC and PBL were correlated positively with histological grade of cervical lesions.Although larger studies are needed, our data support the predictive value of MN, NPB and NBUD as biomarkers of genomic instability for evaluation of risk level of cancer diseases.

WOS: 000432658100022, PubMed ID: 29550449, Objectives: The aim of this survey was to describe the current status of HIV care in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and to investigate how close the region is to achieving the UNAIDS 2020 target of 9090-90. Methods: In 2014, data were collected from 24 Central and Eastern European countries using a 38-item questionnaire. Results: All countries reported mandatory screening of blood and organ donors for HIV. Other groups subjected to targeted screening included people who inject drugs (PWID) (15/24, 62.5%), men who have sex with men (MSM) (14/24, 58.3%), and sex workers (12/24, 50.0%). Only 14 of the 24 countries (58.3%) screened pregnant women. The percentages of late presentation and advanced disease were 40.3% (range 14-80%) and 25.4% (range 9-50%), respectively. There was no difference between countries categorized by income or by region in terms of the percentages of persons presenting late or with advanced disease. The availability of newer antiretroviral drugs (rilpivirine, etravirine, darunavir, maraviroc, raltegravir, dolutegravir) tended to be significantly better with a higher country income status. Ten countries reported initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) regardless of CD4+ T cell count (41.7%), five countries (20.8%) used the threshold of, AIDS and STI Society-Turkey; Gilead SciencesGilead Sciences, The authors would like to thank Mike Youle and Ben Collins for encouraging them to develop this survey. This study was supported by an unconditional grant from the AIDS and STI Society-Turkey and Gilead Sciences.

A large outbreak of tularemia occurred in Kosovo in the early postwar period, 1999-2000. Epidemiologic and environmental investigations were conducted to identify sources of infection, modes of transmission, and household risk factors. Case and control status was verified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Western blot, and microagglutination assay. A total of 327 serologically confirmed cases of tularemia pharyngitis and cervical lymphadenitis were identified in 21 of 29 Kosovo municipalities. Matched analysis of 46 case households and 76 control households suggested that infection was transmitted through contaminated food or water and that the source of infection was rodents. Environmental circumstances in war-torn Kosovo led to epizootic rodent tularemia and its spread to resettled rural populations living under circumstances of substandard housing, hygiene, and sanitation.