| 1. |
- Löwhagen, Gun-Britt, 1942, et al.
(författare)
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Acceptance and outcome of herpes simplex virus type 2 antibody testing in patients attending an STD clinic--recognized and unrecognized infections
- 2005
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Ingår i: Acta Derm Venereol. - : Medical Journals Sweden AB. - 0001-5555 .- 1651-2057. ; 85:3, s. 248-52
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The majority of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) genital infections are asymptomatic. We wanted to evaluate the acceptance of HSV-2 antibody testing among people attending an STD clinic and to estimate, after counselling, the percentage of recognized and unrecognized HSV-2 infections. First visitors to an STD clinic were invited to participate by answering a questionnaire and taking a blood test for HSV-2 antibodies. HSV-2 seropositive individuals, who were unaware of having genital herpes, were offered an HSV-2 counselling visit and follow-up. Of 1769 patients offered testing, 57% accepted. Of 152 (15%) HSV-2 seropositive individuals, 41% had a self-reported history of genital herpes, approximately 30% had genital symptoms and 30% had no genital symptoms. The percentage of patients reporting genital symptoms was much higher in HSV-2 seropositives (45%) without a history of genital herpes than in an HSV-2 seronegative group (28%). HSV-2 antibody testing should be performed generously in all cases of uncharacteristic genital symptoms.
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| 2. |
- Berntsson, Matilda, 1968
(författare)
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Sexually transmitted infections: serological, microbiological and microscopical aspects
- 2011
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STI) is high in the adult populations world-wide but varies between populations and time periods. Since a high proportion of infected individuals are asymptomatic, diagnostic approaches to reduce further transmission and complications are essential. The three main topics of this thesis are (1) the prevalence of the herpes viruses: herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) in different populations; (2) the clinical spectrum of genital infection with HSV-2; and (3) the connection between different criteria of cervicitis and female urethritis and a positive test for Chlamydia trachomatis. Herpes simplex virus type 2 infections, diagnosed by type-specific serology, were common in both STI patients and pregnant women. Of the pregnant women 10% were seropositive for HSV-2, and of female and male STI patients 23% and 12% had HSV-2 antibodies, respectively. Infection with HSV-2 was often asymptomatic and only 41% of seropositive patients had a history of genital herpes. Atypical manifestations, so-called unrecognised infections, were common and are of clinical importance. Among 112 male patients with urethritis no cases of herpes simplex virus were found. Instead, Epstein-Barr virus was detected by PCR in urethral samples in a significantly higher proportion of the subjects than in the controls (21% vs. 6%). EBV was also detected in 10.5% of cervical samples from young women attending for Cervical Cancer Screening. In a similar proportion of these women, 11.5%, cytomegalovirus was found in the cervical specimens. In female STI patients a significant correlation with a positive C. trachomatis test was shown for mucopurulent discharge in the cervical portio, for easily induced bleeding from the same locus, and for more polymorph nuclear leucocytes (PMNL) than epithelial cells in the vaginal wet smear. However, no correlation was demonstrated between microscopical cervicitis or urethritis and C. trachomatis. In conclusion, diagnostic tests for HSV-2 should be performed generously in patients with recurring genital symptoms of unknown cause. The detection of EBV in urethral samples from men with urethritis and the demonstration of EBV and CMV in the cervix of young women support genital transmission of these viruses. Epstein-Barr virus was significantly correlated to male urethritis, which has not been demonstrated previously. However, further studies are needed to elucidate a possible causality between EBV and urethritis. Since an elevated number of PMNL in stained smears from the cervix or the urethra was not correlated with a positive test for C. trachomatis, routine sampling for microscopy from these loci in unselected female STI patients is questionable. Key words: Herpes simplex virus, seroprevalence, Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, urethritis, cervicitis, Chlamydia trachomatis, STI
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| 3. |
- Berntsson, Matilda, 1968, et al.
(författare)
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Viral and bacterial aetiologies of male urethritis: findings of a high prevalence of Epstein-Barr virus
- 2010
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Ingår i: International Journal of STD & AIDS. - 0956-4624. ; 21:3, s. 191-194
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Male urethritis is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs). However, the aetiology is still unclear in many cases. In this study the prevalences of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), HSV-2, cytomegalovirus (CMV), adenovirus, Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma genitalium and Ureaplasma urealyticum (including subtyping) were investigated. Samples from 112 male STI attendants with microscopically verified urethritis and from a control group of 103 men without clinical or microscopic signs of urethritis were analysed. Prevalences in the urethritis group compared with the controls were as follows: EBV 21%, 6% (P < 0.01); C. trachomatis 15%, 3% (P < 0.01); M. genitalium 6%, 1% (P = 0.067) and U. urealyticum 10%, 10% (ns). The results for HSV-1, HSV-2, CMV and adenovirus were negative in patients, and therefore not analysed in the controls. EBV was shown to be an independent predictor of urethritis and may play a role in its pathogenesis.
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