BackgroundDespite the fact that the implication of human papillomavirus (HPV) in the carcinogenesis and prognosis of cervical cancer is well established, the impact of a co-infection with high risk HPV (HR-HPV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is still not fully understood.MethodsFifty eight randomly selected cases of squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) of the uterine cervix, 14 normal cervices specimens, 21 CIN-2/3 and 16 CIN-1 cases were examined for EBV and HPV infections. Detection of HR-HPV specific sequences was carried out by PCR amplification using consensus primers of Manos and by Digene Hybrid Capture. The presence of EBV was revealed by amplifying a 660 bp specific EBV sequence of BALF1. mRNA expression of LMP-1 in one hand and protein levels of BARF-1, LMP-1 and EBNA-1 in the other hand were assessed by RT-PCR and immunoblotting and/or immunohischemistry respectively.ResultsHR-HPV infection was found in patients with SCC (88%), low-grade (75%) and high grade (95%) lesions compared to only 14% of normal cervix cases. However, 69%, 12.5%, 38.1%, and 14% of SCC, CIN-1, CIN-2/3 and normal cervix tissues, respectively, were EBV infected. The highest co-infection (HR-HPV and EBV) was found in squamous cell carcinoma cases (67%). The latter cases showed 27% and 29% expression of EBV BARF-1 and LMP-1 oncogenes respectively.ConclusionThe high rate of HR-HPV and EBV co-infection in SCC suggests that EBV infection is incriminated in cervical cancer progression. This could be taken into account as bad prognosis in this type of cancer. However, the mode of action in dual infection in cervical oncogenesis needs further investigation.

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Background: Several researches have shown that therapeutic compounds or phytochemicals from natural sources are important in the food as it is valuable in pharmaceutical industries, due to their fewer side effects and potent against various diseases. Curcumin, a major polyphenol derived from turmeric spice, which used in many foods, has a wide range of biological activities, with quite safety. Objective: The goal of this study was to investigate the antioxidant, urate-lowering, and anti-inflammatory effects of pure curcumin. Methods: antioxidant effect (radical-scavenging and reducing abilities assays) and for preventive antioxidant effect with metal chelating assay, the urate-lowering was assayed on aspectrophotometer by measuring the inhibition of uric acid production by xanthine oxidase (XO) enzyme, and the anti-inflammatory effect was estimated using in vitro albumin denaturation inhibition. Results: Curcumin showed asignificant and good chain-breaking antioxidant effect, both in free radicalscavenging assays (Galvinoxyl radical, ABTS, and hydroxyl radical), and in reducing abilities methods (reducing power, Cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity and O-phenanthroline assays). In preventive antioxidant effect, assessed with themetal chelating assay, curcumin showed significant effect but with high concentration compared with standard. In the xanthine/xanthine oxidase system, curcumin significantly inhibited uric acid production (IC50= 0.71 ± 0.06 mg/mL). Regarding anti-inflammatory activity, curcumin showed significant inhibition of albumin denaturation with an IC50 value of 1181.69 ± 1.11µg/mL. Conclusion: These results indicated that curcumin showed promising antioxidant, anti-gout and antiinflammatory properties and might be used as potential, natural drugs against oxidative and inflammationrelated diseases.