From Google Scholar & other sources: Selected Journal Articles, Newsletters, Dissertations, Theses, Commentary

The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries
Vol 8, No 09: September 2014
http://www.jidc.org/index.php/journal
Original Article
Safety and immunogenicity profiles of an adjuvanted seasonal influenza vaccine in Guatemalan children
Adib Rodriguez Solares1, 2, Carlos Grazioso Aragon3, Rodolfo Urruela Pivaral4, David Prado-Cohrs5, Victor Sales-Carmona6, Michele Pellegrini6, Nicola Groth6
1 Hospital Infantil de Infectologia y Rehabilitacion, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala
2 Grupo Pediatrico, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala
3 Clinica Privada, Centro de Investigaciones Pediátricas, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala
4 Clinica De Ninos, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala
5 Fundación Pediátrica Guatemalteca, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala
6 Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, Inc., Cambridge, MA, United States
Abstract
Introduction: The efficacy of non-adjuvanted seasonal influenza vaccine in young children is considered to be suboptimal. This study compared the safety and immunogenicity profiles of MF59-adjuvanted, trivalent, influenza vaccine (ATIV) and non-adjuvanted, trivalent, influenza vaccine (TIV) in Guatemalan children (N = 360) between 6 and < 60 months of age.
Methodology: Children received two doses of ATIV or TIV administered four weeks apart. Solicited adverse reactions were recorded for seven days after each vaccination. Serious adverse events were recorded throughout the entire study period. Antibody responses were assessed by hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay at baseline, four weeks after administration of the first vaccine dose, and three weeks after administration of the second dose.
Results: Both ATIV and TIV were well tolerated, with similar rates of solicited reactions and adverse events observed in response to both vaccines. MF59-adjuvanted vaccine induced considerably higher antibody titers than did TIV. After two doses, the B strain-specific antibody response to TIV was insufficient to meet the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) licensure criterion for seroprotection, whereas responses to the MF59-adjuvanted vaccine met the seroprotection criterion against all three strains. Cross-reactive antibody responses to MF59-adjuvanted vaccine met the CBER seroprotection criterion against all three strains after two doses; B strain-specific heterologous responses to non-adjuvanted TIV were inadequate.
Conclusions: The MF59-adjuvanted seasonal influenza vaccine was well-tolerated and highly immunogenic in children 6 to < 60 months of age, inducing seroprotective antibody titers against both the vaccine strains and antigenically distinct heterologous strains.

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Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities
September 2014
Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Knowledge and Attitudes, Preventative Health Behaviors, and Medical Mistrust Among a Racially and Ethnically Diverse Sample of College Women
Stephanie K. Kolar, Christopher Wheldon, Natalie D. Hernandez, Lauren Young, Nancy Romero-Daza, Ellen M. Daley
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Abstract
Introduction
Medical mistrust is associated with disparities in a variety of health outcomes. The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine has the potential to decrease disparities in cervical cancer by preventing infection with the virus that causes these malignancies. No study has examined associations between medical mistrust and preventative health behaviors including the HPV vaccine among young minority women.
Methods
Self-reported racial/ethnic minority students completed a web-based survey in fall of 2011. Wilcoxon and Kruskal-Wallis were used to test differences in medical mistrust scores by demographics and health behaviors.
Results
Medical mistrust varied significantly by race with Black women reporting the highest scores. Women with no regular health-care provider (HCP) or who had difficulty talking to their provider had higher mistrust. Higher medical mistrust was associated with a preference to receive HPV vaccine recommendation from a HCP of the same race or ethnicity among unvaccinated women. Black and Asian women who had not received the HPV vaccine had higher mistrust scores than vaccinated women. Perceived difficulty in talking to a HCP was associated with ever having a Pap smear.
Discussion
Awareness of medical mistrust and the influence on health behaviors may aid in increasing delivery of quality health services for racial and ethnic minority populations. Further research among different populations is needed to elucidate impacts of medical mistrust and provider communication on preventative health behaviors.

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Journal of Clinical Virology
16 September 2014
Can HPV vaccine have other health benefits more than cancer prevention? A systematic review of association between cervical HPV infection and preterm birth
Qi-tao Huang, Mei Zhong, Yun-fei Gao, Li-ping Huang, Qiong Huang, Wei Wang, Zhi-jian Wang,
Yan-hong Yu
Received 6 August 2014; received in revised form 2 September 2014; accepted 7 September 2014. published online 16 September 2014.
Highlights
:: Women with reproductive age had highest rate of HPV infection.
:: We explored the link between HPV and preterm birth(PTB).
:: HPV infection might increase the risk of PTB.
Abstract
Although the association between high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and cervical dysplasia as well as cervical cancer is well established, studies on the relationship between HPV infection and risk of preterm birth (PTB) have yielded inconclusive and inconsistent results. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the association between HPV infection and PTB. The electronic database was searched until July 1, 2014. Relevant studies reporting the association between HPV infection and the risk of PTB were included and for further evaluation. Statistical analysis was performed using Revmen 5.3 and Stata 10.0. Six observational cohort studies and 2 case-control studies were included. A significant association between HPV infection and PTB was observed (odds ratio = 2.12, 95% CI 1.51-2.98, P <0.001, random effect model). Stratification according to diagnostic methods indicated that both positive HPV DNA status and abnormal cervical cytology were associated with increased risk of PTB. Moreover, our data suggested a higher risk of PTB in Caucasian HPV-infected population, while no significant association was observed in the Asian population. Although the causality remains unclear, findings from our meta-analysis indicate that HPV infection might increase the risk of PTB. In the future, prospective cohorts with larger samples sizes are warranted to ascertain the causality and pathophysiological studies are required to explore the possible biological mechanisms involved.

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Special Focus Newsletters
:: PATH: RotaFlash September 15, 2014
Lead report: Record attendance at the 11th International Rotavirus Symposium in New Delhi, India
New journal supplement highlights burden of rotavirus in India and progress of national rotavirus vaccine development