Infectious Agents and Cancer最新文献

{"title":"CD44 expression associates with EBV LMP1, reduced CD8⁺ T cell infiltration, and lower PD-L1 combined positive score in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.","authors":"Amani Sammoud, Nehla Mokni Baizig, Salma Kamoun, Alia Methnani, Yosr Zenzri, Alia Mousli, Maha Driss","doi":"10.1186/s13027-026-00776-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13027-026-00776-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated malignancy characterized by a highly immune-infiltrated yet clinically heterogeneous tumor microenvironment. Iron metabolism has been proposed as a potential determinant of tumor progression and immune regulation. CD44 and transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1) represent two distinct iron uptake pathways, but their relative contribution to EBV-driven NPC and immune modulation remains unclear.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Sixty-eight NPC biopsies from a Tunisian cohort were analyzed by immunohistochemistry for CD44, TfR1, EBV LMP1, PD-L1, CD8, FoxP3, and CD163. Associations with clinicopathological parameters and immune infiltrates were assessed using chi-square and Spearman correlation tests.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>High CD44 expression was observed in 48.5% of cases and was significantly associated with lymph node involvement (p = 0.012) and TNM stage (p = 0.042). CD44 expression positively correlated with LMP1 (r = 0.463, p = 0.001). In contrast, CD44 was inversely correlated with CD8⁺ T-cell infiltration (r = - 0.283, p = 0.019) and PD-L1 combined positive score (CPS) (r = - 0.247, p = 0.042). A significant positive correlation was observed between LMP1 and PD-L1 expression, both for tumor proportion score (TPS) (r = 0.341, p = 0.003) and CPS (r = 0.345, p = 0.002). In contrast, TfR1 expression was associated with advanced tumor stage (p = 0.022) but showed no significant relationship with immune parameters or LMP1. CD44 and TfR1 expression were inversely correlated (r = - 0.250, p = 0.040), suggesting alternative iron acquisition pathways.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our findings suggest that CD44 may act as a key regulator linking iron metabolism and immune modulation in EBV-associated NPC. Although direct iron measurements were not performed, the observed associations with reduced CD8⁺ T-cell infiltration are consistent with a potential role of CD44 in shaping an immune-restricted tumor microenvironment. These results provide integrative evidence of a CD44-iron-immune axis in a Tunisian NPC cohort and highlight CD44 as a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target.</p>","PeriodicalId":13568,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Agents and Cancer","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13584522/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148351893","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Correlation between viral load and cervical squamous lesion severity in single and multiple infections: a large-scale analysis.","authors":"Ting Xu, Jing Zhao, Jiaqi Wu, Yanyan Wang, Xiaoli Liu, Baokun Zhou, Yan Huang, Xiaotong Guo, Yunde Dou, Yunyun Gong, Jianli Wang","doi":"10.1186/s13027-026-00770-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13027-026-00770-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study examined the association between high risk human papillomavirus viral load and cervical squamous lesions using the Cobas 4800 assay and evaluated its potential as an indicator for identifying CIN2+, and analyzed the impact of multiple infections on viral load and disease risk.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 3,838 women who underwent hr-HPV testing were included. The Cobas 4800 assay provided cycle threshold values, which were used as indirect measures of viral load. These values were correlated with histopathological diagnoses obtained within three months of HPV testing.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among all participants, 1,660 had normal histology, 900 had CIN1, 1,019 had CIN2/3, and 259 had SCC. HPV16 Ct values decreased with increasing lesion severity in both single and multiple infections, whereas HPV18 and the 12 other hr-HPV types showed no clear correlation with lesion grade. Multiple HPV infections involving HPV16 were not associated with an increased risk of CIN2 + compared with HPV16 single infection. For both HPV16 and HPV18, Ct values did not differ significantly across CIN1, CIN2/3, and SCC between single and multiple infections. ROC curve analysis of HPV16 single infections identified a Ct threshold of 32.25 for identifying CIN2+, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.72, a sensitivity of 80.7%, and a specificity of 54.4%.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>HPV16 viral load is correlated with cervical squamous lesions, irrespective of single or multiple infections. HPV16 viral load may serve as a biomarker for indicating cervical squamous lesion occurrence. In this study, no positive association was observed between co-infection and high-grade lesions, and viral loads did not differ significantly between single and multiple infection groups. Integrating viral load assessment into clinical evaluation could thus enable more individualized risk stratification and patient management.</p><p><strong>Clinical trial number: </strong>Not applicable.</p>","PeriodicalId":13568,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Agents and Cancer","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13543547/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148307998","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Point-of-care hrHPV mRNA detection with reverse transcription recombinase polymerase amplification on a portable fluorimeter from provider-collected cervical samples in Maputo, Mozambique.","authors":"Emilie Newsham Novak, Cannon J Hansen, Zoha Wazir, Ariel Ma, Jennifer Carns, Hira Atif, Jane R Montealegre, Michael E Scheurer, Cesaltina Lorenzoni, Daniel G Rosen, Mila P Salcedo, Kathleen M Schmeler, Rebecca R Richards-Kortum","doi":"10.1186/s13027-026-00772-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13027-026-00772-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Cervical cancer is the most common cancer in women in Mozambique, where limited screening infrastructure contributes to high disease burden. While testing for high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) DNA can identify women at risk for cervical cancer, its limited specificity may lead to overtreatment in screen-and-treat programs, straining resources. We performed a pilot study to evaluate preliminary feasibility of a novel, accessible test to detect hrHPV mRNA, a more specific biomarker for cervical cancer risk, from 22 women who previously screened positive for visual inspection with acetic acid at Maputo Central Hospital in Mozambique.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Cervicovaginal samples were analyzed for hrHPV DNA using the Xpert HPV test. RNA was extracted from samples using a benchtop spinner instead of a centrifuge. Isothermal reverse transcription recombinase polymerase amplification (RT-RPA) assays targeting HPV 16, 18, and 45 mRNA, plus a cellular control were performed on a portable fluorimeter with results compared to the gold standard portable reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Cervical biopsies were obtained and submitted for histopathologic analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>RT-RPA and RT-qPCR results were in 100% agreement (22/22). The sample-to-answer times were 1.5 h for the RT-RPA test and 3.75 h for RT-qPCR. All RT-RPA-positive samples were Xpert-positive for the same HPV type. Two Xpert-positive samples were RT-RPA-negative; four were positive for high-risk HPV types other than 16, 18, or 45. RT-RPA had a higher positive predictive value (100%) for high grade lesions by biopsy than Xpert (73%). Xpert had a higher negative predictive value (82%) than RT-RPA (71%) for high grade lesions.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study demonstrates the potential feasibility of novel point-of-care hrHPV mRNA testing in a low-income country. Additional work is needed before this test is clinically relevant and deployable in resource-limited settings.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>This study was registered on 2022-04-25 on clinicaltrials.gov under registration number NCT05372484.</p>","PeriodicalId":13568,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Agents and Cancer","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13393838/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148307965","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Motivations and hesitations for cervical cancer screening: considerations for scale-up of human papilloma virus (HPV) testing within HIV care in Zimbabwe.","authors":"Phibion Manyanga, Anjali Vasavada, Sandra Murwira, Lucia Gondongwe, Ponesai Nyika, Brian K Moyo, Gloria Gonese, Batsirai Makunike-Chikwinya, Stefan Wiktor, Kerry A Thomson","doi":"10.1186/s13027-026-00773-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13027-026-00773-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Consistent with WHO guidance Zimbabwe is transitioning from annual single visit screen-and-treat using visual inspection with acetic acid and cervicography (VIAC) to HPV testing every three years to screen women living with HIV (WLHIV) for cervical cancer.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We administered a questionnaire at three public-sector facilities in Zimbabwe to understand reasons why WLHIV accept or decline VIAC and preferences for implementation of HPV testing.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 451 WLHIV completed the questionnaire, of whom 414 (91.8%) accepted VIAC screening and 37 (8.2%) declined screening. Close to 50% of the 37 women who declined screening indicated a preference for HPV testing. The majority of WLHIV (76.3%) had known their HIV positive status for ≥ 5 years and nearly all (99.8%) were on antiretroviral therapy. Among the 414 WLHIV accepting VIAC screening, 323 (78.0%) were re-screening, and 91 (22.2%) were screening for the first time. WLHIV accepting VIAC re-screening were motivated by healthcare workers helping them feel secure about their health (45.8%), compliance with annual screening recommendations (39.6%), and encouragement from a healthcare worker (8.0%). Those accepting VIAC screening for the first time were motivated by encouragement from a healthcare worker (39.6%), compliance with annual screening recommendations (38.5%), and helping them feel secure about their health (17.6%). When asked what screening approach they would prefer in the future, the majority of women accepting re-screening (70.3%) and first-time screeners (89%) indicated a preference for continuing with VIAC screening. The 93 WLHIV with a screening history who indicated a preference for HPV testing were evenly split between preferring provider-collected sampling (13.9%) and self-collected sampling at the health facility (13.6%). Fear of physical discomfort of a pelvic exam (54.1%), worry about the screening result (13.5%), and perceived side effects of VIAC (10.8%) were the most common reasons given by the 37 WLHIV who declined VIAC.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Facilities transitioning to HPV testing will need to incorporate client-centered education that acknowledges existing individual commitment to VIAC, explains the benefits of HPV testing, and offers HPV self-sampling for WLHIV who are hesitant to undergo a pelvic exam.</p>","PeriodicalId":13568,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Agents and Cancer","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13536546/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148283412","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Combined C-terminal truncation and point mutations in HBx in genotype D1 HBV-associated hepatocellular carcinoma.","authors":"Miao Yu, Ali Sameer Alkhawaja, Hamidreza Mollaei, Zokirova Fazila, Rizaev Jasur, Elahe Mosayebnejad Roudbaneh, Elham Mosayebnejad Roudbaneh, Kamyar Mazloum Jalali","doi":"10.1186/s13027-026-00771-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13027-026-00771-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a major global cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), with the X protein (HBx) playing a central role in viral replication and host-virus interactions. Genetic variability within HBx, particularly in genotype D1, may influence disease progression through structural and functional alterations.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this study, the HBx region from an HBV-infected patient with HCC was analyzed using high-resolution melting (HRM) and direct sequencing. The obtained sequence was compared with a genotype D1 reference, followed by in silico structural interpretation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Sequence analysis revealed a distinct mutational profile characterized by multiple amino acid substitutions within the transactivation domain, including H94R, S101S (synonymous), L116S, and V131T, along with a C-terminal truncation spanning amino acids 142-154 (C-terminal deletion/truncation). These alterations were located within or adjacent to functionally important regions, including domains implicated in transcriptional regulation, mitochondrial signaling, and protein-protein interactions. HRM analysis demonstrated a shift in melting temperature consistent with altered nucleotide composition. Structural interpretation suggested that the combined presence of point mutations and C-terminal truncation may contribute to localized conformational changes and altered interaction potential, although no definitive functional conclusions can be drawn.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The identified HBx variant represents a complex mutational pattern involving both non-synonymous substitutions and a C-terminal truncation, which may reflect a multi-step process of structural and functional perturbations. This observation expands the current understanding of HBx variability in genotype D1 HBV and highlights the potential relevance of combined mutational profiles in the context of HBV-associated hepatocarcinogenesis. Further studies are required to clarify the biological significance of these findings.</p>","PeriodicalId":13568,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Agents and Cancer","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13523222/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148277408","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Acquired epidermodysplasia verruciformis presenting as isolated genital hypopigmentation in a renal transplant recipient: a rare case report.","authors":"Amir Hossein Barjasteh, Abedeh Aslami, Hanieh Latifi, Masoumeh Hoseininezhad, Naser Tayyebi Meibodi, Reyhaneh Fazeli, Amirali Reihani","doi":"10.1186/s13027-026-00774-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13027-026-00774-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV) is a rare genodermatosis resulting from mutations in the EVER1/EVER2 genes, that increase vulnerability to beta-human papillomavirus (β-HPV) infection. The acquired form (AEV) develops in immunocompromised individuals, particularly organ transplant recipients, and typically manifests as pityriasis versicolor-like macules on sun-exposed areas. However, lesions confined to non-sun-exposed regions, especially the genitalia, are exceedingly uncommon and may be misdiagnosed. We report the case of a 38-year-old woman, nine years post-renal transplantation and on long-term triple immunosuppressive therapy (cyclosporine, mycophenolate mofetil, and prednisolone), who presented with progressive, non-pruritic, well-demarcated hypopigmented macules localized exclusively to her labia majora and mons pubis. The lesions were initially misdiagnosed and unsuccessfully treated as tinea versicolor. A skin biopsy revealed histopathologic features characteristic of EV, including enlarged keratinocytes with blue-gray cytoplasm and perinuclear halos and koilocytotic changes. This case emphasizes that AEV should be considered in the differential diagnosis of genital hypopigmented lesions in immunosuppressed patients. Accurate histopathologic evaluation is crucial for timely recognition, appropriate management, and ongoing surveillance to prevent missed malignant transformation.</p>","PeriodicalId":13568,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Agents and Cancer","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13505068/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148264436","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Single-cell transcriptomics and machine learning unveil liquid-liquid phase separation-related biomarkers in HPV-positive cervical cancer.","authors":"Yiru Chen","doi":"10.1186/s13027-026-00768-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13027-026-00768-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) dysregulation is a key driver of oncogenesis, yet its specific role in HPV-positive cervical cancer remains undefined. We hypothesized that HPV-positive tumors exploit distinct LLPS mechanisms to evade nucleolar stress surveillance, offering a novel avenue for biomarker discovery.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We analyzed 70,519 single-cell transcriptomes across four histological conditions (Normal/Cancer, HPV+/-) to interrogate a curated panel of 120 LLPS-related genes. Our analytical framework integrated multi-tiered differential expression modeling with Random Forest classification to identify transformation-specific signatures.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Analysis revealed a significant Cancer-HPV interaction effect characterized by the robust suppression of ribosomal proteins RPL5 and RPL11 (log₂FC ≈ - 3.4) specifically in HPV-positive cancer. Machine learning validation confirmed these genes as the top predictors (Variable Importance: RPL5 81.4%, RPL11 76.9%). The integrated model achieved 69.7% classification accuracy, predicting HPV-positive malignancy with a posterior probability of 78.4%.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study identifies a unique, HPV-specific suppression of the LLPS-regulators RPL5 and RPL11, mechanistically linking viral carcinogenesis to the evasion of ribosomal stress pathways. By integrating single-cell transcriptomics with machine learning, we present a novel, transformation-specific biomarker panel that distinguishes HPV-positive malignancy from both normal infection and non-viral cancer, providing new targets for diagnostic precision and therapeutic intervention.</p>","PeriodicalId":13568,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Agents and Cancer","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148194726","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"High-risk human papillomavirus positivity and associated factors among women living with HIV in public health facilities of Mekelle, Northern Ethiopia.","authors":"Mebrahtu Teweldemedhin Shfare, Hayelom Kahsay, Gebrecherkos Teame Gebrehiwot, Getachew Kahsu Abay, Tekle Amare Abrha, Dangew Weldegiorgis Araya, Girmay Alemseged Kahsay, Fisseha Assefa Embaye, Gerezgiher Buruh Abera, Dawit Wolday, Araya Gebreyesus Wasihun, Mahmud Abdulkader Mahmud, Tsehaye Asmelash Dejene","doi":"10.1186/s13027-026-00769-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13027-026-00769-0","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Worldwide, it is believed that high-risk human papillomavirus (hr-HPV) strains are the root cause of many types of cancers, including cervical cancer, anorectal cancers, vaginal cancers, and penile cancers, with an estimated 922, 728 females diagnosed with HPV-related cancer in 2022. Particularly, in sub-Saharan Africa, the majority of women (55.13%) were affected by hr-HPV, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive women have had double-fold higher risk of hr-HPV infection. Evidence is scarce in the study area; therefore, the current study aimed to assess the prevalence of hr-HPV and associated factors among HIV-positive women in public health facilities of Mekelle, Tigray, northern Ethiopia.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;A health facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted in five conveniently selected public health facilities of Mekelle, northern Ethiopia, from December 10, 2024, to July 10, 2025. The study included 390 consecutively recruited HIV-positive women, from whom questionnaire-based interviews were made, and provider-collected cervical brush specimens were processed using the Abbot cervi-collect kit in accordance with standard procedures. Following automated deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) extraction using the Abbot m2000sp, the presence of 14 hr-HPV genotypes was detected using the m2000rt real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the statistical association between the potential factors and hr-HPV status. Finally, statistical significance was declared at p &lt; 0.05, along with the corresponding 95% confidence interval.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Result: &lt;/strong&gt;The mean ± SD age of the respondents was 42 years (42.82 ± 9.55). The majority, 231/390 (59.2%) of the respondents, were of a normal weight, and with an overall mean Body Mass Index (BMI) of 21.77 ± 3.86 kg/m&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;. According to the RT-PCR, the overall prevalence of hr-HPV DNA positivity was 39.7% (155/390); [95% CI: 34.9-44.9%]. Specifically, the prevalence of HPV-16, HPV-18, and collectively the other hr-HPV types was 10.8% [95% CI: 7.7-13.8%], 3.6% [95% CI: 1.8-5.6%], and 32.7% [95% CI: 27.9-37.2%], respectively. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, condom use was assocatied with lower odds of hr-HPV infection [AOR = 0.23; 95%CI: 0.06-0.89; p = 0.034], whereas oral contraceptive use [AOR = 4.47; 95%CI: 1.39-14.28; p = 0.012], history of vaginal discharge [AOR = 2.61; 95%CI: 1.01-6.70; p = 0.046], genital ulcer disease [AOR = 4.09; 95%CI: 1.12-14.59; p = 0.030], history of unprotected sex before marriage [AOR = 2.20; 95%CI: 1.14-4.24; p = 0.017], lack of awareness about HPV-linked cervical cancer [AOR = 2.23; 95%CI: 1.18-4.24; p = 0.013], duration ( less than or equal to11 years) since ART initiation [AOR = 2.05; 95%CI: 1.13-3.74; p = 0.018], a history of 3 or more documented ART interruption events [AOR = 4.37; 95CI: 1.06-17.99; p = 0.041","PeriodicalId":13568,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Agents and Cancer","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13463756/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148101359","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Role of gut microbiota in cancer modulation: molecular mechanisms and emerging therapeutic strategies.","authors":"Subham Preetam, Jutishna Bora, Sthiti Porna Dutta, Nayan Talukdar, Sarvesh Rustagi, Shailendra Thapliyal, Sumira Malik, Neeraj Choudhary, Dinesh Kumar, Suresh Babu Kondaveeti","doi":"10.1186/s13027-026-00767-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13027-026-00767-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The gut microbiota exerts profound effects on host physiology, immunity, and disease susceptibility, with growing evidence implicating its role in cancer initiation, progression, and therapy response. Dysbiosis and microbial-derived metabolites contribute to oncogenesis by modulating epithelial signalling, immune regulation, and systemic inflammation. This review synthesises current knowledge on the crosstalk between the gut microbiome and cancer, spanning molecular mechanisms, site-specific malignancies, and treatment outcomes. We discuss how microbial pathways, including NF-κB, STAT3, Wnt/β-catenin, and inflammasome activation, shape tumour biology, and how microbiota profiles correlate with cancer risk and progression in colorectal, gastric, liver, breast, gynaecological, and pulmonary cancers. Furthermore, we highlight the microbiome's impact on responses to chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy. Finally, we evaluate therapeutic strategies targeting the microbiota, from conventional dietary and probiotic interventions to cutting-edge approaches such as faecal microbiota transplantation, engineered bacterial strains, and microbiome-based biomarkers. Understanding these complex interactions offers novel opportunities to integrate microbiome science into precision oncology.</p>","PeriodicalId":13568,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Agents and Cancer","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13397764/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148042210","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Molecular characterization of HPV integrations in high-risk HPV-positive women and development of a prognostic signature based on integration-associated genes for cervical cancer.","authors":"Qiongying Lyu, Jiahui Zhao, Yurou Chen, Jiaqiang Xiong, Hairong Wang, Juan Zhang, Lihan Wang, Xiaoyan He, Wei Zhang","doi":"10.1186/s13027-026-00766-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13027-026-00766-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>HPV integration into the human genome is a key molecular event in the progression of cervical cancer carcinogenesis.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study utilized samples from high-risk HPV-positive women to investigate HPV integration. Integration-associated genes were screened based on HPV-DNA integration sequencing data from our local clinical cohort, and their expression levels and prognostic value were independently validated and used for model construction in the TCGA-CESC RNA-seq dataset. Using this integration-associated prognostic risk model, cervical cancer (CC) patients from TCGA were stratified into high-risk and low-risk groups. Differences in enrichment of PI3K-AKT pathway genes and immunotherapy response were analyzed between the two groups, and functional analysis was performed on differentially expressed immune-related genes between the subgroups.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The HPV integration rate gradually increases with the progression of cervical disease. The most frequent integration-related genes were KLF5, LINC00392, BCL11B and TP63. A risk model based on eight HPV integration-associated genes was developed, which could classify CC samples into high-risk groups with significantly shorter overall survival times compared to low-risk groups (P < 0.001). ROC curve evaluation showed that the AUCs for the 3, 5, and 7-year survival rates were 0.77, 0.74, and 0.76, respectively. The significant differences in PI3K-AKT pathway gene enrichment and prediction of immune therapy response were found between two risk groups.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>A integration-associated prognostic risk model based on genes derived from HPV integration hotspots shows significant association with patient survival and is correlated with distinct tumor microenvironment features, including PI3K-AKT pathway activity and predicted immunotherapy response.</p>","PeriodicalId":13568,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Agents and Cancer","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13224627/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148042183","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}