Immunohistochemical staining for p53 is used as a surrogate for mutational analysis in the diagnostic workup of carcinomas of multiple sites including ovarian cancers. Strong and diffuse immunoexpression of p53 is generally interpreted as likely indicating a TP53 gene mutation. The immunoprofile that correlates with wild-type TP53, however, is not as clear. In particular, the significance of completely negative immunostaining is controversial. The aim of this study was to clarify the relationship of the immunohistochemical expression of p53 with the mutational status of the TP53 gene in ovarian cancer. A total of 57 ovarian carcinomas (43 high-grade serous ovarian/peritoneal carcinomas, 2 malignant mesodermal mixed tumors (carcinosarcomas), 2 low-grade serous carcinomas, 4 clear cell carcinomas, 1 well-differentiated endometrioid carcinoma, and 5 carcinomas with mixed epithelial differentiation) were analyzed for TP53 mutations by nucleotide sequencing (exons 4-9), and subjected to immunohistochemical analysis of p53 expression. Thirty six tumors contained functional mutations and 13 had wild type TP53. Five tumors were found to harbor known TP53 polymorphism and changes in the intron region were detected in three. Tumors with wild-type TP53 displayed a wide range of immunolabeling patterns, with the most common pattern showing r10% of positive cells in 6 cases (46%). Mutant TP53 was associated with 60-100% positive cells in 23 cases (64% of cases). This pattern of staining was also seen in three cases with wildtype TP53. Tumors that were completely negative (0% cells staining) had a mutation of TP53 in 65% of cases and wild-type TP53 in 11%. Combining two immunohistochemical labeling patterns associated with TP53 mutations (0% and 60-100% positive cells), correctly identified a mutation in 94% of cases (Po0.001). Immunohistochemical analysis can be used as a robust method for inferring the presence of a TP53 mutation in ovarian carcinomas. In addition to a strong and diffuse pattern of p53 expression (in greater than 60% of cells), complete absence of p53 immunoexpression is commonly associated with a TP53 mutation. Accordingly, this latter pattern, unlike low-level expression (10-50% cells), should not be construed as indicative of wild-type TP53.

SummaryBackgroundWhile CMV viral load (CMV-VL) is commonly used to guide preemptive therapy in the post-transplant setting, there is little data correlating viremia with clinical endpoints. We therefore investigated the association of CMV-VL with mortality in the first year after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT).MethodsThis cohort study included patients who received an allogeneic HCT between 01 January 2007 and 28 February 2013, were CMV seropositive or had a seropositive donor, and underwent weekly plasma CMV monitoring by PCR through day 100 post-transplant. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the association of CMV-VL at different thresholds with overall by 1 year post-transplant, adjusting for the use of preemptive therapy and other factors such as neutropenia, and graft-versus-host disease. Secondary endpoints were non-relapse mortality and CMV end organ disease by 1 year post-transplant.FindingsAmong 926 patients, the cumulative overall mortality was 30·0% (95% CI 26·9–33·0) by 1 year. CMV-VL of ≥250 IU/ml was associated with increased risk of early (day 0–60 post-transplant) death (adjusted HR 18·1, 95% CI 8·8–37·4). The risk was attenuated after day 60 (adjusted HR 1·8, 95% CI 1·4–2·4). Similar associations were observed for higher CMV-VL thresholds. CMV-VL was also associated with increased risk of non-relapse mortality and demonstrated a dose-response relationship. The adjusted HR (95% CI) for CMV-VL of any positive CMV-VL below 500, 501–1000, and >1000 IU/ml were 1·4 (0·9–2·1), 2·6 (1·3–4·9), and 5·0 (3·1–8·1), respectively.InterpretationCMV viremia is associated with increased risk of overall and non-relapse mortality in the first year after HCT, independent of the use of preemptive therapy and with evidence of a postitive dose-response relationship. These data establish the suitability of viral load as a surrogate clinical endpoint for clinical trials for CMV vaccines, biologics, and drugs.FundingMerck & Co., Inc., National Institute of Health (K23-AI097234, K24HL093294, HL088021, CA78902, CA18029, HL122173)

BackgroundDisease caused by the dengue virus (DENV) is a significant cause of morbidity throughout the world. Although prior research has focused on the association of specific DENV serotypes (DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, and DENV-4) with the development of severe outcomes such as dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome, relatively little work has correlated other clinical manifestations with a particular DENV serotype. The goal of this study was to estimate and compare the prevalence of non-hemorrhagic clinical manifestations of DENV infection by serotype.Methodology and Principal FindingsBetween the years 2005–2010, individuals with febrile disease from Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Paraguay were enrolled in an outpatient passive surveillance study. Detailed information regarding clinical signs and symptoms, as well as demographic information, was collected. DENV infection was confirmed in patient sera with polyclonal antibodies in a culture-based immunofluorescence assay, and the infecting serotype was determined by serotype-specific monoclonal antibodies. Differences in the prevalence of individual and organ-system manifestations were compared across DENV serotypes. One thousand seven hundred and sixteen individuals were identified as being infected with DENV-1 (39.8%), DENV-2 (4.3%), DENV-3 (41.5%), or DENV-4 (14.4%). When all four DENV serotypes were compared with each other, individuals infected with DENV-3 had a higher prevalence of musculoskeletal and gastrointestinal manifestations, and individuals infected with DENV-4 had a higher prevalence of respiratory and cutaneous manifestations.Conclusions/SignificanceSpecific clinical manifestations, as well as groups of clinical manifestations, are often overrepresented by an individual DENV serotype.

A lower cumulative probability of HPV infection among women with a sexual debut before the sexual revolution may be masking an age-related increase in HPV reactivation in the United States.

These data illustrate a paradox in which the incidence of disease is greater for males, but the severity of disease outcome is worse for females. Several behavioral, societal, and biological factors are hypothesized to be involved.