HARC 008 - Human Papillomavirus, Cervical Dysplasia and Gap Junction Protein Expression in HIV-1-Infected Women.  Intercellular communication through channels formed by gap junction proteins (connexins) are felt to be important in the regulation of dysplasia.  Gap junctional communication is deficient in most neoplastic cells and restoration results in decreased dysplasia.  In collaboration with Drs. Marc Goodman and John Bertram of the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii, gap junction protein expression will be studied in cervical biopsy specimens obtained during colposcopy from HIV-1-infected women.  A concept sheet to examine gap junction protein expression in the context of an ACTG study utilizing isoretinoin for cervical dysplasia (ACTG 293) has been accepted for concept development.  Unfortunately, difficulties were encountered in obtaining an adequate amount of antibodies for the detection of gap junction proteins.  Current efforts are being focused on obtaining a suitable monoclonal antibody for this purpose.  In addition, cervical specimens from HIV-1-infected women seen in our Women's Clinic, will be examined for persistence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, in an attempt to obtain preliminary data for a proposed study, entitled "Determinants of the persistence or transience of HPV infection among women receiving Papanicolaou (Pap) smear".  Thus far, 16 cervical samples have been analyzed for HPV by the Hybrid Captureú method.  Of these, high-risk HPV types were detected in two individuals and low-risk types were detected in one individual.

Back to PROJECTS