title: Vaginal cells of smokers are more resistant to human papillomavirus infection than that of non-smokers.
abstract: To evaluate effect of HPV and smoking on DNA double-strand breaks in vaginal samples, vaginal specimens collected from participants (n=76) were classified based on HPV and smoking status, and DNA double-strand breaks measured using comet assay. Mean tail length (31.2±18.7μm) and tail moment (2.4±2.8 arbitrary units) for HPV-positive patients were lower (p<0.001) compared with HPV-negative patients (61.7±22.6μm; 8.7±4.9AU). Never-smokers were found to have a higher level (p<0.001) of double-strand breaks (57.7±24.5μm, 7.5±5.5AU) compared with ever smokers (35.3±21.9μm; 3.4±3.7AU). Among HPV infected patients, never-smokers have more double-strand breaks compared to smokers (p<0.001) which correlated with age (p<0.001). Highly differentiated vaginal epithelium may be resistant to DNA damage associated with HPV infection and smoking, which may be attributed to adoptive survival mechanisms of vaginal epithelium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.
authors.forename: Afsoon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moktar
authors.forename: Srivani
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ravoori
authors.forename: Manicka V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Vadhanam
authors.forename: Jianmin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Shesh N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Rai
authors.forename: Alfred B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Jenson
authors.forename: Lynn P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.forename: Ramesh C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Gupta
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020552:Comet Assay; D004249:DNA Damage; D060467:Disease Resistance / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D012907:Smoking; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D014621:Vagina / Q000166:cytology* / Q000821:virology; D055815:Young Adult; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology