Bacterial-Viral Interactions in Human Orodigestive and Female Genital Tract Cancers: A Summary of Epidemiologic and Laboratory Evidence

Infectious agents, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites, have been linked to pathogenesis of human cancers, whereas viruses and bacteria account for more than 99% of infection associated cancers. The human microbiome consists of not only bacteria, but also viruses and fungi. The microbiome co-residing in specific anatomic niches may modulate oncologic potentials of infectious agents in carcinogenesis. In this review, we focused on interactions between viruses and bacteria for cancers arising from the orodigestive tract and the female genital tract. We examined the interactions of these two different biological entities in the context of human carcinogenesis in the following three fashions: (1) direct interactions, (2) indirect interactions, and (3) no interaction between the two groups, but both acting on the same host carcinogenic pathways, yielding synergistic or additive effects in human cancers, e.g., head and neck cancer, liver cancer, colon cancer, gastric cancer, and cervical cancer. We discuss the progress in the current literature and summarize the mechanisms of host-viral-bacterial interactions in various human cancers. Our goal was to evaluate existing evidence and identify gaps in the knowledge for future directions in infection and cancer.

Women’s Empowerment as It Relates to Attitudes Towards and Practice of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting of Daughters: An Ecological Analysis of Demographic and Health Surveys From 12 African Countries

Background: Women’s empowerment may play a role in shaping attitudes towards female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) practices. We aimed to investigate how empowerment may affect women’s intention to perpetuate FGM/C and the practice of FGM/C on their daughters in African countries.Materials and methods: We used data from Demographic and Health Surveys carried out from 2010 to 2018. The countries included in our study were Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Côte d´Ivoire, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, and Togo. This study included 77,191 women aged 15–49 years with at least one daughter between zero and 14 years of age. The proportion of women who reported having at least one daughter who had undergone FGM/C as well as the mother’s opinion towards FGM/C continuation were stratified by empowerment levels in three different domains (decision-making, attitude to violence, and social independence) for each country. We also performed double stratification to investigate how the interaction between both indicators would affect daughter’s FGM/C.Results: The prevalence of women who had at least one daughter who had undergone FGM/C was consistently higher among low empowered women. Tanzania, Benin, and Togo were exceptions for which no differences in having at least one daughter subjected to FGM/C was found for any of the three domains of women’s empowerment. In most countries, the double stratification pointed to a lower proportion of daughters’ FGM/C among women who reported being opposed to the continuation of FGM/C and had a high empowerment level while a higher proportion was observed among women who reported being in favor of the continuation of FGM/C and had a low empowerment level. This pattern was particularly evident for the social independence domain of empowerment. In a few countries, however, a higher empowerment level coupled to a favorable opinion towards FGM/C was related to a higher proportion of daughters’ FGM/C.Conclusion: Women’s empowerment and opinion towards FGM/C seems to be important factors related to the practice of FGM/C in daughters. Strategies to improve women’s empowerment combined with shifts in the wider norms that support FGM/C may be important for achieving significant reductions in the practice.

Description of two new micropterous species of Monasavuhygia Brailovsky, 1996 from the Fiji and Solomon Islands and a key to species (Heteroptera: Coreidae: Colpurini)

The genus Monasavuhygia Brailovsky, 1996 is revised. Two new species collected in the Fiji Islands and Solomon Islands, respectively, are described in the Tribe Colpurini (Heteroptera: Coreidae). A key to the known species is included, with photographs of the dorsal habitus and female genital plates provided.

Benign mixed Müllerian (duct) vaginal tumor in a 12-y-old goat

In human and veterinary medicine, mixed Müllerian tumors (MMTs) are rarely diagnosed neoplasms of the tubular female genital tract. Although there are case reports of malignant MMTs in various species, benign MMTs have only been described once in a macaque. Here we present a case of benign MMT in a 12-y-old goat, and review the literature on uterine, cervical, and vaginal neoplasia in goats. The doe was presented with vaginal discharge and was euthanized because of the high suspicion of intraabdominal neoplasia. On gross examination, an ulcerated vaginal mass was identified. Histologically, 2 distinct cell populations were present: smooth muscle cells that were well differentiated and positive for alpha–smooth muscle actin, and ciliated columnar epithelial cells that lined ductal structures and had no signs of malignancy. These findings led to the diagnosis of neoplasia of Müllerian origin. Benign MMT should be considered as a differential diagnosis for uterine and vaginal neoplasms in goats.

Combining Theory and Research to Validate a Social Norms Framework Addressing Female Genital Mutilation

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a harmful practice with no benefits and considerable harm to girls and women who undergo it. In 2016, the United Nations Joint Program to Eliminate FGM, funded the development and subsequent validation of a monitoring and evaluation framework to understand the relationship between social norms and practicing FGM. Evidence on the framework was gathered through a pilot study in Ethiopia. This paper uses cross-sectional quantitative data from the pilot to operationalize the framework and determine what factors are associated with practicing FGM. A total of 554 and 481 participants answered the question “Have you undergone FGM?” and “Do you know a family member who has undergone FGM?” respectively. Overall, 65% of participants said they had undergone FGM and 32% said they knew someone in their family who had undergone FGM. Predictors of not undergoing FGM included most progressive attitudes vs. less progressive attitudes about FGM and relationship to identity [OR: 1.9 (95% CI: 1.1–3.3)]; region [Afar vs. Addis Ababa: OR: 0.09 (95% CI: 0.02–0.5); Southern Nations Nationalities and People's Regions vs. Addis Ababa: OR: 0.1 (95% CI: 0.05–0.3)], being 36 years old and above vs. 10–19 years (OR: 0.2 (95% CI: 0.1 to 0.7)) and being single, never married vs. married or engaged (OR: 2.8 (95% CI: 1.1–7.0)]. Predictors of knowing a family member who has not undergone FGM included: Higher knowledge vs. lower knowledge [OR: 0.3 (95% CI: 0.1–0.5)]; if the family expected you to abandon FGM, you had a greater odds of knowing a family member who had not undergone FGM [43.6 (95% CI: 2.7–687.8)]; coming from Southern Nations, Nationalities and People's Region was associated with a lower odds of knowing a family member who had not undergone FGM [0.3 (95% CI: 0.1–0.6)]. Being a female influential vs. female caregiver was associated with a higher odds of knowing a family member who had not undergone FGM [2.9 (95% CI: 1.01–5.2)]. This paper has allowed us to validate a theory and research based social norms framework, specifically examining how social and behavior change communication can be used as a mechanism for shifting norms around a given harmful practice. Now that this model has been developed and validated, it is likely to provide a foundation to study the direct and indirect impacts of social norms programming on changing harmful practices, such as FGM.

Evidence for cGAS-STING signaling in the female genital tract resistance to Chlamydia trachomatis infection

Sexually transmitted Chlamydia trachomatis can ascend to the upper genital tract due to its resistance to innate immunity in the lower genital tract. C. trachomatis can activate cGAS-STING signaling pathway in cultured cells via either cGAS or STING. The current study was designed to evaluate the role of the cGAS-STING pathway in innate immunity against C. trachomatis in the mouse genital tract. Following intravaginal inoculation, C. trachomatis significantly declined by day 5 following a peak infection on day 3 while the mouse-adapted C. muridarum continued to rise for >1 week, indicating that C. trachomatis is susceptible to the innate immunity in the female mouse genital tract. This conclusion was supported by the observation of a similar shedding course in mice deficient in adaptive immunity. Thus, C. trachomatis can be used to evaluate innate immunity in the female genital tract. It was found that mice deficient in either cGAS or STING significantly increased the yields of live C. trachomatis on day 5, indicating an essential role of the cGAS-STING signaling pathway in innate immunity of the mouse genital tract. Comparison of live C. trachomatis recovered from different genital tissues revealed that the cGAS-STING-dependent immunity against C. trachomatis was restricted to the mouse lower genital tract regardless of whether C. trachomatis was inoculated intravaginally or transcervically. Thus, we have demonstrated an essential role of the cGAS-STING signaling pathway in innate immunity against chlamydial infection, laying a foundation for further illuminating the mechanisms of the innate immunity in the female lower genital tract.