Purpose: Imiquimod is a Toll-like receptor 7 agonist used topically to treat external genital warts and basal cell carcinoma. We examined the combination of topical imiquimod with intramuscular administration of CRT/E7, a therapeutic human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine comprised of a naked DNA vector expressing calreticulin fused to HPV16 E7. Experimental Design: Using an orthotopic HPV16 E6/E7þ...

BACKGROUND This study investigated gp120-binding antibody and neutralizing activity, at the gingival- and cervical-mucosal levels, in response to a bivalent gp120 candidate vaccine. METHODS Women who met the study's inclusion criteria for documented high-risk behaviors participated in a nested substudy of the multicenter phase 3 trial of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-vaccine efficacy, VA...

The notification of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) is a prime component of well-designed public health policy. However, peculiar aspects of STD must be taken into account for the correct management of surveillance activities. Here, we describe the distribution of the most common sexually transmitted diseases among patients attended by the gynecological clinics of the principal public hospi...

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the levels of βhCG cervicovaginal secretions and preterm delivery. A cross-sectional analysis was used and cerevicovaginal secretion specimens were obtained from women in their 24th-36th weeks (every 6 days) of pregnancy who presented the pregnancy clinic with preterm labor manifestations. Frozen samples (at -20°C) were assayed ...

OBJECTIVES To determine whether human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) detected in cervicovaginal secretions of patients with symptoms suggestive of preterm labor is a predictor of preterm birth. METHODS Women presenting to labor and delivery with symptoms of preterm labor were invited to participate. After collecting secretions with a cotton-tipped applicator from the posterior fornix and endoce...

BACKGROUND The purpose of our study was to determine the prevalence and significance of psammoma bodies (PBs) in the cervicovaginal smears of the screening population of Trento district (Italy), with the description of the cytological presentation of an asymptomatic bilateral ovarian psammocarcinoma. METHODS From 1993 to 2006, women with PBs detected on consecutively screened cervical smears ...

In the cervicovaginal environment, the production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) by vaginal Lactobacillus spp. is often mentioned as a critical factor to the in vivo vaginal microbiota antimicrobial properties. We present several lines of evidence that support the implausibility of H2O2 as an "in vivo" contributor to the cervicovaginal milieu antimicrobial properties. An alternative explanation is...

Twenty-eight cervicovaginal tracts from approximately 2-year-old female BALB/cCrgl mice neonatally exposed to ovarian steroids were cut into small segments and transplanted into syngeneic hosts. Within six months, six of 28 host animals developed tumors. Three tumors were from progesterone-exposed mice, two were from estrogen-exposed mice, and one was from estrogen-progesterone-exposed mice. Th...

The presence of cervicovaginal agenesis with unicornuate uterus is a very rare mullerian anomaly. Its true incidence is still unknown. The presence of functioning unicornuate uterus poses a great challenge for a gynecologist because a successful repair could restore normal menses and may preserve a patient's fertility. Hence, we report a case of 16-year-old unmarried female who presented with c...

Vaginal microbicides that reduce or eliminate the risk of HIV-1 sexual transmission must do so safely without adversely affecting the integrity of the cervicovaginal epithelium. The present studies were performed to assess the safety of the biguanide-based antiviral compound NB325 in a formulation suitable for topical application. Experiments were performed using a mouse model of cervicovaginal...