30 women with non-HPV16 lesions, those who carry a gene called HLA*A201 were three times less likely to clear up their lesions than those without the gene (14.3 percent vs. 42.3 percent). According to Trimble, 40 percent of people carry the HLA*A201 gene, which codes for certain white blood cell proteins.

None of the lesions got worse during the study period, and all unresolved lesions were surgically removed when the observation period ended. "Since none of the lesions progressed after 15 weeks, we can be reasonably assured that this window of time is safe for vaccine treatments," she said.

Trimble is studying a larger group of patients to confirm her results and rule out other potentially confounding factors such as age, smoking status, and contraceptive method, which may influence how these lesions clear. Trimble recently published results linking second-hand cigarette smoke to cervical cancer progression. She also is looking for additional immune system characteristics that could predict mechanisms of immune responses to HPV. This may provide more information on which women have lesions more likely to regress and potentially avoid surgery, plus provide the opportunity to treat early-stage disease.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, an estimated 20 million people in the United States are infected with HPV and up to three-quarters of these have viral strains that are linked to cervical, oral and anal cancers. More than 10,000 cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed in the United States annually.

'"/>


1-Jul-2005

Page: 1 2
Related medicine news :

1. Johns Hopkins begins aggressive screening for superbugs in children
2. Johns Hopkins develops pancreas cancer risk model
3. March of Dimes, Johnson & Johnson Pediatric Institute launch prematurity prevention partnership
4. Diagnosis and referrals for kidney disease fall well short of need, Johns Hopkins study shows
5. Johns Hopkins Childrens Center to lead largest-ever study on kidney disease in children
6. Johns Hopkins lab scientists tame overactive CF protein
7. Two tests better than one for diabetes control, Johns Hopkins expert tells doctors
8. Johns Hopkins scientists exploit novel route to reverse enlarged hearts in obese mice
9. Johns Hopkins scientists map brain area that may aid hunt for human brain stem cells
10. Johns Hopkins study suggests link between caffeine dependence and family history of alcoholism
11. Johns Hopkins flu expert calls for mandatory vaccination of health care workers