St. Cercet. Virusol. 37 (1) 2007

3 - Determination of viral infections in malignant non-Hodgkin lymphomas
Cristina Daniela Goia¹, Camelia Grancea¹, ConstanÅ£a Antipa¹, Simona RuÅ£Äƒ¹, Camelia Sultana¹, Anca Roxana Lupu², Mihaela CloÅŸca², Oana Ciocan²
¹“Åžtefan S. Nicolau” Institute of Virology
²ColÅ£ea Hospital-Hematology Clinic
[more...]

Abstract. Although the incidence of malignant non-Hodgkin lymphomas (MNHL) has risen dramatically in the past years all over the world, the etiology of this type of disease still remains partially unknown. Many epidemiological studies have shown the direct implication of viral agents in the pathology of these malignancies: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), Kaposi syndrome asociated herpetic virus, HTLV-1. The complex mechanisms by which these viruses act, along with other physical and chemical risk factors have not been elucidated until now, but the research in this field is intense. Herpetic lymphotropic virus EBV and CMV, establish a long persistence in most people. They cause inaparent or transient infections in healthy hosts, but can cause diseases and reactivations in immunodeficient persons.
In our study the serological screening for EBV, CMV, HCV, HBV was performed on a group of
50 pacients with MNHL and the relation between histological type of lymphoma and viral status was established. The information regarding viral implication in lymphoma patology was corelated with prognostic evaluation and with the impact on individualised terapeutic aproach.

Keywords: EBV, HBV, HCV, lymphoma.
9 - Chlamydia trachomatis – important cofactorin hpv persistant infection HPV?

Anda Viviana Dragodan, ConstanÅ£a Antipa, Adriana PleÅŸa, Gabriela Anton

“Åžtefan S. Nicolau” Institute of Virology
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Abstract. The persistence of HPV infection is influenced, as some studies have relived, by the presence of other infections sexually transmitted, such as infections with Chlamydia trachomatis, Herpes Simplex Virus II, etc. The objective of this study is to investigate the association between HPV infection generated by high risk genotypes and the infection with Chlamydia trachomatis. The study group was composed by 108 patients with the clinical diagnose of lesion cervix, these patients were tested for HPV infection and Chlamydia trachomatis infection. The infection with HPV (DNA/HPV) was present in 47.2% of the studied cases, in 37.94% cases high risk genotypes were determined (HPV 16), in 9.26% of the positive cases the genotype couldn’t be determined. From the total of the studied patients 14.81% presented HPV associated infections - Chlamydia trachomatis, in 11.11% of these we detected high risk HPV genotypes. The association of Chlamydia trachomatis infection and HPV cannot be yet explained from the pathogenic point of view, although it is considered by some authors as being relevant in the evaluation of the lesion cervix together with other genetic, immunological and viral factors.
Keywords: Chlamydia trachomatis, Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).
17 -The cytological and virological screening for HPV genital infection
Coralia Bleotu¹, Demetra Socolov², G. Peltecu3, F. CorniÅ£escu⁴, S. Teleman², Zorela SgarburÄƒ³, Cristina Goia¹, Anca Botezatu¹, Adriana PleÅŸa¹, Gabriela Anton¹
¹“Åžtefan S. Nicolau” Institute of Virology, Bucharest, Romania;
²2UMF Iasi;
³Filantropia Hospital, Bucharest, Romania;
⁴UMF Craiova, Romania
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Abstract. Cervical cancer is the second type of women cancers, most cases being reported in the developing countries, where it represents the main cause for mortality in women.
Methods. The smear obtained from 100 women with/without suggestive HPV infection pathology were cytologically investigated (expressed in Bethesda system). The cases of cancer were histologically confirmed and staged after FIGO. The viral testing was based on the presence of HPV DNA and was analyzed using the IINNOLIPA (Innogenetics) kit, according to the manufacturer’s protocol.
Results. HPV DNA was detected in 79% of the studied cases (cervical smear from patients with normal and abnormal cytological features). Moldavia – 84.84% cases, Oltenia – 75.75% cases, Bucharest – 76.47% cases. Related to the cytological diagnosis, HPV was detected in 75.5% of samples with normal or inflammatory cytological appearance, in 87.5% ASCUS, 70.37% LSIL and in 90.9% HSIL/ carcinoma, which proves that HPV infections are frequent.
Conclusion. The HPV test must be used in conjunction with the clinical information obtained by other screening and diagnosis tests.

Keywords: human papillomavirus, cytological investigation, vrological screening.
33 Genetic and epigenetic factors involved in mammary oncogenesis
Anca Botezatu1, Lorelei BraÅŸoveanu1, Coralia Bleotu1, LuminiÅ£a Welt2, Ileana Popa2, Natalia Cucu3,Gabriela Anton1
1“Stefan S. Nicolau” Institute of Virology, Bucharest, Romania
2Coltea Hospital, Bucharest, Romania
3Bucharest University, Genetic Departments, Bucharest, Romania
[more...]

Abstract. Breast cancer is a high incidence condition and 1 from 8 women will develop this type of cancer during his life. Relating to this condition, in Romania are diagnosed approximately 6000 women, every year. The incidence of breast cancer has increased slow but continuously in the past years. Recently the mutation (modification of nucleotide sequence was the unique cause for gene silencing or aberrant function, the epigenetic information brings new elements to explain the relationship between genotype-phenotype. The epigenetic information may be influenced by endogenous factors : stage of development, and exogenous factors like environment factors. In this study we propose to analyze the mutations in BRCA1 gene and Arg /Procodon
72 exon 4 mutation of p53 gene and DNA methylation dynamics in tumors: the evaluation of DNA global methylation status, the evaluation of local methylation status (the promoter of the tumor suppressor gene RAR beta).

Keywords: breast cancer, mutation, methylation.
41 Role of the inflammatory factors in the regulation of neutrophil functions in rheumatoid arthritis
Marinela Bostan1, Mirela Hirt1, Georgiana Gabriela Matei1, Åžtefania MÄƒrineaÅ£Äƒ2, Lorelei Irina BraÅŸoveanu1
1Center of Immunology - “Åžtefan S. Nicolau” Institute of Virology, Bucharest, Romania
2Medical Center Vademecum Bucharest, Romania
[more...]

Abstract. Polymorhonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) are the first cells to migrate (chemotaxis) at the inflammatory site to perform phagocytosis and to generate of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the release of the different intracellular compartiments (degranulation). The antimicrobial efficiency of neutrophils depends on two concurrent events occurring in the phagolysosome of stimulated neutrophils: the generation of ROS and the release of enzymatic or antimicrobial protein content in the granules. Therefore, in the present study we examined how inflammatory factors affected neutrophils functions. For this, we analyzed degranulation and oxidative function developed by neutrophils in response to chemotactic peptide FMLP, TNFalpha, IL-6 or IL-8. Our data showed that the inflammatory factors induced rapid neutrophil degranulation and intensive activation of the generation and release of ROS.

Keywords: polymorphonuclear neutrophils, degranulation, N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine, tumor necrosis alpha, interleukin-8, interleukin-6.
51 Biological agents as occupational risk
C.N. Zaharia, Mihaela Albulescu, Alexandrina NuÅ£Äƒ
„Åžtefan S. Nicolau” Institute of Virology, Bucharest, Romania
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Abstract. Biosafety represents one of the most recent disciplines concerning occupational safety. In biologic risk assessment the source, the intensity and the duration of personnel exposure should be evaluated. An emergent risk on occupational safety and health represents any occupational risk that is new and increasing. Among the most important biological risk factors are: globalisation, poor or dificult biological risk assessment, increased general use of antibiotics, lack of information upon biological risks at different working sites, insufficient training and poor knowledge of occupational safety and health measures. In the process of biological agents classification the first stage is the differentiation between biological agents that are not dangerous (Group 1) and the other agents (Group 2, 3, and 4) based on their infecting and pathogenic properties. The second stage uses different characterization criteria (virulence, host domain, transmission route, inactivation type, etc). Classification of cell cultures in a risk group is based on strict evaluation schemes. The issues concerning exposure and biological risk assessment encompass also the definition of exposure level and of risk cofactors.

Keywords: biosafety, biological risk analysis and assessment, classification criteria, cell cultures, risk co-factors.

St. Cercet. Virusol. 37 (1) 2007

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