Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.7.10.2 (focal adhesion kinase)
 44,029 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The objective was to determine how frequently an abnormal vaginal flora occurred in women attending a menopause clinic and whether any abnormality might be related to a particular risk factor. Women completed a questionnaire on their gynaecological, sexual and medical history. Whether they were perimenopausal or postmenopausal was determined on the basis of symptomatology, duration of amenorrhoea and on a follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) assay when clinically indicated. A speculum examination of the vagina was undertaken, at which time a smear of vaginal secretion was Gram stained and the bacterial flora graded as follows: grade 1, normal; grade 2, intermediate, and grade 3, bacterial vaginosis (BV). Of 100 women examined, 44 had grade 1 flora, 17 had grade 2 flora and 18 had BV. An apparent absence of, or very scanty, vaginal bacteria in which grading was not possible was found in 21 women. Women with BV had had more sexual partners than the others, but otherwise there were no discernible factors associated with the occurrence of BV. Women with vaginal atrophy were more likely to have an apparent absence of vaginal bacteria, but a few had BV.
Int J STD AIDS 2002 Jul
PMID:Bacterial vaginosis in climacteric and menopausal women. 1217 62

An expedited review of the Reality intravaginal pouch--the so-called "female condom"--led the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to recommend conditional approval for the new contraceptive device on January 31. Developed by the Wisconsin Pharmacal Company, Reality consists of a lubricated polyurethane sheath that is the same length but wider than a male condom, and contains flexible rings at both ends. The closed end is inserted similarly to the diaphragm, covering the cervix. The open end remains outside the vagina in order to prevent skin contact, thereby preventing pregnancy and protecting against STD. Nonetheless, questions linger as to the efficacy of the device. In 1988, an FDA expert panel determined that female condoms were not "substantially equivalent" to male condoms. Soon after, however, the FDA issued new guidelines which streamlined the approach for bringing to market female barrier contraceptives which offer protection against STDs. The FDA's January meeting was marked by a debate between those supporting the expedited process, who viewed approval of the product as a moral imperative for protecting women, and those questioning the efficacy of the product, who said that not enough information is available. The latter group noted that one study found a 15.1% pregnancy rate among a group of women using the device. The FDA decided to grant conditional approval; pending further company data on the use-effectiveness of the device. Noting that expedited decision reflects the relatively slow pace and lack of federal support for contraceptive research, the article goes on to discuss a legislative attempt to give permanent authorization for five contraceptive and infertility research centers, a move that is not supported by the Bush administration.
 ...
PMID:New contraceptive method, female-worn condom, approved by FDA panel. 1228 86

Screening for HIV in China began in 1984, with the first AIDS case appearing in 1985. 305,280 sera were tested as of 1992, of which 379 were seropositive for antibodies to HIV. Of these 379 individuals, there were 4 hemophiliacs identified in 1985, 1 homosexual male, 4 individuals returning from Africa, 365 drug addicts and 2 spouses. 68 foreigners and 1 Chinese hemophiliac from Hong Kong also tested seropositive. Concern is expressed over the psychosomatic trials of infected women who feel unable to discuss their HIV status with family members for fear of influencing their role as primary caregivers and sex partners. Without access to medical therapy and support groups, these women no doubt feel isolated. Non-directive counseling is recommended for seropositive women during pregnancy. AIDS patients have reduced natural killer cell cytotoxicity. Seminal plasma also suppresses several immune responses. The pathogenicity of HIV, however, has yet to be determined. Fatty acid metabolism and Beta-endorphin are discussed in the context of therapeutic approaches. HIV/STD interactions are finally considered with individual attention given to bacterial vaginosis, hepatitis B, Chlamydia trachomatis, Herpes Simplex virus, microbiological contaminants of the vagina bacterial vaginosis, syphilis, mycoplasmas/epididymitis, bacterial prostatitis, and IVF culture media infections.
 ...
PMID:HIV / STD interactions immunosuppression and future research development. 1228 86

Women of the Laobe ethnic group and the Dimba, a traditional women's association, provide advice about sexuality and reproductive health in southern Senegal. Research was initiated in October 1992 by the Cheikh Anta Diop University to determine whether these women could also help in HIV/AIDS and STD prevention activities. The study investigated men's and women's knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practices (KABP) related to sexuality and HIV/AIDS/STDs in the community of Kolda; practices potentially increasing women's risk of HIV/STD infection; and possibilities for integrating HIV/STD prevention messages into the interactions which take place between the Laobe and Dimba groups and the Kolda community. The KABP study was a questionnaire administered to 250 men and 250 women of reproductive age representing five ethnic groups residing in Kolda. 11 men and 14 women older than age 40 participated in in-depth sexual life history interviews. The survey and interviews indicate that people in Kolda do not generally see a link between sexual relations and STD transmission. Instead, STDs are attributed to behaviors such as urinating, walking barefoot on the urine of an already-infected person, encountering a "bad wind", and being cursed. Women may be at increased risk of HIV infection through practices designed to enhance sexual pleasure, including the insertion of organic and mineral product into the vagina, and the cutting of bumps and warts in and around the vagina. Sexual practices, knowledge, prevention through the Laobe and Dimba, and outcome and follow-up are discussed.
AIDS STD Health Promot Exch 1995
PMID:Traditional women's associations as channels for HIV / AIDS / STD prevention. 1234 70

This article describes the experiences of the Ghana Ministry of Health in holding workshops about AIDS transmission and prevention for adults and opinion leaders. Ghana, as in many parts of Africa, does not provide a social context where sexuality issues are openly discussed. During the workshops participants were asked to suggest words for describing sexual relations, which would be acceptable to use in a discussion. Group facilitators recorded the suggestions and evaluated on the basis of body language whether some words were offensive to use or not. Some of the commonly accepted expressions for body parts were "the man's stick" for penis, "the woman's under" for vagina, and "to take a woman or to sleep with a man" for sexual intercourse. Men tended to use words closer to unacceptable among women. Women were able to find words acceptable to both men and women. The final glossary of words and phrases is now available for use in Ghana's AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Disease campaigns.
AIDS STD Health Promot Exch 1995
PMID:Country watch: Ghana. 1234 72

According to the Health Ministry's National AIDS Coordination Program (NACP), 48,882 people died due to AIDS between 1987 and September 1995. 21,099 of these individuals were women. Many men have unprotected sex with multiple partners, contract HIV, then transmit it to their primary sex partner. Any given wife may know that she is not her husband's only sex partner, but her options to protect herself against potential HIV infection are extremely limited. Although there is some indication that the level of condom use has increased, some men still refuse to wear them. It is considered unacceptable for women to refuse the sexual advances of their husbands. At the same time, wives tend to be economically dependent upon their men and have little alternative to marriage for survival. Even among financially independent women, divorce or separation from their husbands is not an option, for society frowns upon women who leave their marriages. Women who are thus trapped in a marriage with a promiscuous, noncontracepting husband need some means to protect themselves against HIV/STD when having sex. Femidom, an oversized polyurethane condom which women can insert into the vagina to serve the same protective and contraceptive function as the standard male condom, may be just what these women need. Women do not need the man's consent to use Femidom, and reports suggest that men often do not even realize that the device is in place when having sex. Before the marketing of Femidom may begin, however, the government must register it. Officials argue that Femidom is too expensive and that it cannot be made available until it is clearly proved effective. Critics counter that the government subsidizes many other family planning devices.
 ...
PMID:Zimbabwe women "don't have the means to protect themselves". 1234 21

The primary risk factor for cervical cancer is infection with high-risk genotypes of human papillomavirus (HPV). This study compared HPV DNA detection between cervical swabs (CX) and self-administered vaginal swabs (SV). Phase I participants were 199 women chosen from a study comparing the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis from various anogenital sites. Phase II participants were 135 women from either the Colposcopy or HIV Outpatient Clinic. HPV DNA testing was performed using polymerase chain reaction and Roche reverse line blot hybridization. In Phase I samples, more CX samples amplified and more HPV genotypes (P < 0.05) were detected in CX. Genotype 52 were seen more in the cervix, whereas genotype 82 (MM4) was detected solely in the vagina. The presence of high-risk HPV genotypes in the cervix was a predictor of an abnormal Papanicolaou (Pap) smear. In Phase II samples, CX samples amplified more, but similar rates of HPV genotypes were seen in SV and CX samples. Higher concordance rates of high-risk genotypes were seen in Phase II compared to Phase I samples. Phase II demonstrated the feasibility of utilizing SV sampling to reflect cervical status. If validated, a self-vaginal swab method to detect cervical HPV DNA status could be utilized to triage women with indeterminate Pap smears and be a useful method to collect epidemiological data from large populations.
Int J STD AIDS 2003 Aug
PMID:Detection of human papillomavirus DNA in self-administered vaginal swabs as compared to cervical swabs. 1293 87

We present the case of polymicrobial pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) that involved Staphylococcus sciuri, S. epidermidis, and Streptococcus agalactiae. In order to determine the frequency of S. sciuri isolation from the female lower genital tract, 3415 vaginal samples were analysed during the one-year study period. S. sciuri was isolated from three (0.09%) samples. In all the three cases, S. sciuri was obtained in mixed culture from outpatients without symptoms of infection. While the origin of S. sciuri in the female genital tract remains to be elucidated, the present study showed that this bacterium may colonize vagina and, moreover, may be involved in the pathogenesis of an infection as serious as PID. The low rate of isolation we established, however, indicates infrequent and, most probably, transient colonization of the female genital tract by S. sciuri.
Int J STD AIDS 2005 Jun
PMID:Staphylococcus sciuri: an unusual cause of pelvic inflammatory disease. 1596 84

Vaginal contraception, the oldest method of fertility regulation that remained virtually forgotten for a few decades has recently come under focal review due to an increase in STDs and HIV infections worldwide. Today it is being considered very strongly that a conceptual microbicidal spermicide can tender protection against pregnancy as well as STDs (including AIDS), simultaneously. However the two activities (spermicidal and microbicidal) need to be integrated in vaginal preparations, as many women across the world may be concerned more about the unwanted pregnancy rather than the STI during a coital act. A strong detergent like nonoxynol-9 (N-9) has been used as a spermicide in many local contraceptive preparations and studies have shown that it also exhibits significant microbicidal activity in vitro. However, recent clinical trials have shown that detergent spermicides do not provide any protection against STDs and AIDS but may in fact even promote their transmission. This anomaly has largely been attributed to their surfactant nature that irritates the vagina and kills the normal vaginal flora making it more susceptible to STD infections. An urgent need for a suitable non-detergent spermicide has thus emerged to replace N-9 in local contraceptive preparations. Anticipating the potential of spermicide-based vaginal contraceptives in the reproductive health of women, a large number of synthetic, non-detergent molecules were designed and evaluated at this Institute over recent years. Simultaneously, a number of natural products from terrestrial plants and marine flora/fauna were also evaluated for spermicidal activity. A local contraceptive preparation incorporating the active ingredient from the fruit pericarp of Sapindus mukorossi has successfully completed Phase III clinical trials in India and is ready for marketing. Recent studies have indicated that in comparison to N-9, this ingredient is much less toxic to Lactobacillus spp. and effectively inhibits the growth of Trichomonas vaginalis in vitro. Other candidate spermicides/microbicides under development worldwide have been reviewed briefly.
 ...
PMID:Microbicidal spermicide or spermicidal microbicide? 1644 47

Improving access to genitourinary (GU) medicine services in the face of increasing demand and escalating rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) necessitates a review of current practice and modernization of service provision. At a time when GU medicine resources are limited and technology is available to perform non-invasive screening tests for chlamydia and gonorrhoea, we question the cost-effectiveness of routine genital examination, microscopy and culture of a high vaginal swab (HVS) in the management of asymptomatic women attending a GU medicine clinic. We conducted a case-note review of 206 consecutive asymptomatic female GU medicine clinic attendees who requested 'a check up'. We conclude that routine on-site microscopy of samples from the cervix, urethra and vagina, and laboratory culture of a HVS did not influence the outcome of patient care. No clinically significant genital tract pathology was identified on examination, with the possible exception of one woman in whom HSV1 was diagnosed opportunistically. The results of this study have significant implications for service provision and patient management.
Int J STD AIDS 2007 Feb
PMID:Genital examination, microscopy and high vaginal swabs: are these valuable components of a sexually transmitted infection screen in asymptomatic women? 1778 15


<< Previous 1 2 3 4 5 Next >>