Hormone Replacement Therapy And Herpes

Infection Of Ec Cultures In The Presence Of Sex Hormones And Following Antiviral Treatment

Experiments to test the effect of hormones and antiviral formulations on HSV-2 infection of EC culture inserts were carried out according to the standard protocol, with the following modifications. In hormone experiments, prior to infection, cultures were incubated for 24 h in hormone-stripped media to remove the effects of any hormones present in the primary culture media, and then incubated for an additional 24 h with hormone-stripped media as a control or with hormone-stripped media containing 109 M 17-estradiol or 106 M progesterone . The virus was diluted in either the hormone-stripped media or stripped media containing 109 M 17-estradiol or 106 M progesterone, and after 2 h of infection, cells were washed and provided with fresh hormone-stripped media with or without hormones. In experiments testing the effect of antivirals, endometrial and cervical monolayers were pretreated apically and basolaterally with 300 l of 10 g/ml poly for 2024 h or left untreated as control. Following the 2-h infection, cells were washed, and 300 l of 10 g/ml of poly or primary culture media was added to the apical and basolateral compartments. Acyclovir was used to treat endometrial and cervical EC monolayers after infection with HSV-2. EC cultures were treated with either 200 M ACV or left untreated as controls.

Risks Of Estrogen Treatment

When Hrt Is Not Recommended

Hormone replacement therapy is notrecommended for people who:

• May be pregnant
• Have issues with abnormal vaginal bleeding
• Have a family or personal history of breast cancer
• Have a personal history of heart disease, stroke, blood clots, or liver disease
• Have a family history of gallbladder disease
• Are allergic to estrogen or progesterone

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Hematoxylin Staining Of Confluent Endometrial And Cervical Epithelial Monolayers

To visualize epithelial monolayers, tissue culture inserts were stained with Harris hematoxylin . Inserts were washed with PBS for 10 min, fixed with 100% ethanol for 10 min, and washed with PBS for 10 min. Harris hematoxylin was added for 1 min and washed extensively with tap water. Inserts were dried and membranes were cut out from the plastic wells. Membranes were mounted onto glass slides with glass cover slips in Permount Mounting Media .

What Should Be Considered For Genital Herpes

In general, both type-1 and type-2 can be taken into the body when the herpes simplex virus is infected.

In addition, it should not be forgotten that especially in viral herpes called type-2, it is transmitted to the body by contact, and it should be kept in mind that there may be other sexually transmitted diseases. On the other hand, other viruses that are as easily transmitted and dangerous as type-2 herpes virus can be transmitted from the same person . For this reason, it is important to detect other sexually transmitted diseases through tests in people with type-2 herpes.

People infected with genital herpes usually do not have many symptoms. However, some people may experience the following symptoms:

â A tingling or stinging sensation in the genital area

â Small and painful red blisters in the genital area

â Wounds that look like redness or cracks on the genitals.

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Menopause Does Not Mean A Loss Of Control

While menopause does indeed mark a transition, it does not mean loss of control. With the benefits of hormone replacement therapy, equilibrium can happily return to normal. There is much to be gained in the decades that await during and after menopause. Who doesnt want to live longer and age gracefully? But, if we want to live longer we should also try to look and feel good doing it!Estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone can improve sleep, protect memory and cognitive functions, and even reduce the incidence of breast, uterus, ovarian, cervical, and colon cancers. In combination, these hormones can also reduce hot flashes, night sweats, and many other side effects of menopause.1-5While we cant reverse the aging process, we can slow it down. The benefits of hormone replacement therapy are regarded as a cornerstone of anti-aging efforts.10 Currently, women can expect to live about -½ of their lives in a state of sex-hormone deficiency if they dont take hormone replacements. This deficiency can lead to long-term disease. That is a huge problem!Skin aging, as well as decreased muscle, bone density, sexual desire, and intellectual activity, can lead to mood disorders osteoporosis, cognitive decline, dementia, heart problems, and painful sex. Bio-identical hormones can give you back the many benefits of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Hormone replacement can directly contribute to longevity, and lead to a significant improvement in your quality of life.

Effect Of Antiviral Treatments On Hsv

Poly , a TLR3 ligand, has been shown to provide protection against HSV-2 infection in an in vivo mouse model of HSV-2 infection . However, it is not clear from these studies whether poly acts directly on ECs. The effectiveness of poly to induce an antiviral effect against HSV-2 was tested in our human genital EC cultures. We used ACV treatment as a reference point to compare the effectiveness of poly to inhibit the HSV-2 infection in cultured EC ACV is an established clinical treatment for HSV-2. Endometrial EC culture inserts were treated with poly , ACV, or left untreated as controls. EC cultures were then infected apically, and viral shedding was measured after 24 h. Untreated control cultures shed a mean of 105 pfu/ml of HSV-2 into apical supernatants, but EC cultures treated poly shed 1000-fold fewer HSV-2 . The ACV control indicated complete inhibition of virus production from EC cultures . Similar inhibition of HSV-2 replication was seen in cervical EC cultures . Virus shedding to the basolateral supernatants was not significant under any condition for EC cultures from this patient .

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How Should I Take Valacyclovir

Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets. Your doctor may occasionally change your dose. Use the medicine exactly as directed.

Start taking valacyclovir as soon as possible after the first appearance of symptoms . This medicine may not be effective if taken after you already have symptoms.

You may take valacyclovir with or without food.

Tell your doctor if a child taking this medicine cannot swallow the valacyclovir tablet.

Your pharmacist may prepare an oral suspension form of valacyclovir. Shake this suspension before you measure a dose. Use the dosing syringe provided, or use a medicine dose-measuring device .

Lesions caused by herpes viruses should be kept as clean and dry as possible. Wearing loose clothing may help to prevent irritation of the lesions.

Some herpes infections need to be treated for longer than others. You may need to take the medicine for only 1 day or for just a few days. To prevent recurrent genital herpes, you may need to take valacyclovir for up to 1 year. Use this medicine for the full prescribed length of time, even if your symptoms quickly improve.

Follow your doctor’s dosing instructions very carefully. Taking more valacyclovir than prescribed will not make this medicine more effective.

Drink plenty of water while you are taking valacyclovir to keep your kidneys working properly.

Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat. Keep the bottle tightly closed when not in use.

Shingles And Menopause: Is There A Connection

The link between menopause and shingles may be explained by hormones, stress, and immunity.

Shifting hormones, hot flashes, mood swings, sleep deprivation, and short-term memory loss are all normal and natural changes women experience and anticipate during menopause. However, many women may be unaware that they are also at an increased risk for developing shingles while transitioning through menopause.

Herpes zoster is a reactivation of the varicella zoster virus that causes chickenpox and subsequently burrows into the hosts dorsal root ganglia, where it lays dormant until reactivating back to life decades later. Individuals at greatest risk for shingles are those 50 years of age and older women account for more cases than men. Peak incidence for women coincides with the average age for menopause , while men tend to develop shingles later in life.

The menopause/shingles connection generally focuses on three factors: hormones, stress, and immunity.

According to the North American Menopause Society , Changes in our cellular immunity occur with age, stress, certain medications, and hormones, and make us more vulnerable to viruses, especially those in the herpes family . NAMS also explained that women, particularly during the menopause transition, have higher rates of shingles than men, most likely due to hormonal changes to their immune response.

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Build Your Immunity And Update Your Fears

The herpes virus and its behavior, both in individuals and in our society, is a direct reflection of our unexamined beliefs and fears. Once you have the herpes virus, you have it for life, just like the chicken pox virus. Your experience with the virus, though, has everything to do with your mind and your immunity. J. Edwin Blalock, Ph.D., an immunologist at the University of Alabama, calls the immune system a mirror on the mind. Were talking about your whole mind hereboth conscious and subconscious. When your immune system is strong and healthy, programmed by positive and uplifting subconscious beliefs, the virus may lie dormant for many years both in the affected tissues and also in nerves that supply the infected tissues. But under conditions of physical, emotional, or spiritual stresslike shame, fear, or inadequate nutritionthe virus may activate and produce characteristic painful sores or itching.

Over the past year, Ive received the following questions about herpes. I hope my answers will provide you with illumination and immune-boosting confidence about this subject.

Q: How can I tell if I have herpes?

If you have an active herpes sore, or have developed herpes for the first time, a culture can be taken by a healthcare practitioner. Cultures can also be taken when you are asymptomatic to determine whether you are shedding the virus. But one negative test on a given day doesnt guarantee that you wont be shedding the virus at another time.

I love my sexuality.

Statistical Analysis Of Data

GraphPad Prism 3.02 was used for statistical analysis and graphic representation. All viral quantitation was log transformed to improve normality for parametric statistical analysis. Time-kinetic experiments were analyzed with one-way analysis of variance , and pairs of individual time points were compared using the two-sample Student t-test. Poly and hormone experiments were analyzed with Student paired t-tests. All t-tests were performed two-tailed, and significance defined at an alpha value of 0.05.

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Risks Of Hormone Replacement Therapy

Many medical experts agree that hormone replacement therapy is an option worth considering for healthy adults under 60 seeking to manage certain menopausal symptoms. But it’s important to point out that research has highlighted several potentially serious risks of using HRT.

In particular, research that began in 2002 raised significant concerns, including that some participants on HRT had a higher risk of breast cancer, heart disease, stroke, blood clots, urinary incontinence, gallbladder disease, and dementia. The affected participants were mostly over the age of 60 and past the menopausal stage.

Since then, researchers have continued to analyze these findings as they explore the long-term safety of HRT. Experts have clarified that the potential risks may be more likely in people who:

• Begin HRT at age 60 or older
• Begin HRT more than 10 years after the start of menopause
• Have a personal or family history of conditions like cancer and heart disease

Anyone with these risk factors will not be considered a candidate for hormone replacement therapy.

To help avoid further risks in people who are prescribed HRT, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends using HRT at the lowest working dose for the shortest period of time possible, which is typically no longer than five years.

Who Shouldnt Use Hrt

The benefits of hormone therapy are well understood, but your doctor may decide HRT is not right for you if you have had

Breast cancer

Liver disease

You also shouldnt use HRT if theres any chance you might be pregnant.

*If women experience unwanted side effects when taking HRT for the first time, these symptoms can usually be resolved by changing the type, dose, or route of HRT . It is important that women are aware that, for the vast majority under the age of 60 years, the benefits of hormone replacement therapy outweigh any risks.

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Herpes Simplex And Subsequent Cancer Risk

Crude data analysis

The HR for the comparison between women or men with and without herpes simplex was 1·06 or 0·91 , suggesting absence of association . A KaplanMeier curve is presented in Figure 5.

Fig. 5. Time to emergence of malignancy after herpes simplex or matching date in all female patients.

Table 4. Association between herpes simplex and subsequent malignancy: estimated age-adjusted hazard ratios according to age group, site and gender

HR, Hazard ratio CI, confidence interval.

No cases of malignancy were recorded in at least one of the comparison groups.

Only one case of malignancy was recorded in at least one of the comparison groups.

Subgroup analyses according to age and cancer localization

Subgroup analyses revealed no significant associations for any of the subgroups. Care should be taken with the analyses by cancer type due to the low number of events for patients with herpes simplex .

How Is Hormone Therapy Administered

Hormone therapy can be given in a variety of methods, including the following:

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What Are Sexually Transmitted Infections

Getting an STI can be upsetting, but its important to educate yourself, practice self-compassion, and reduce the stigma and shame that can often be attached to contracting sexually transmitted infections. For transgender people and non-binary people, in particular, feelings of gender dysphoria can be triggered by getting an STI, especially if it focused our attention on parts of our bodies that we might have complicated feelings around. Staying on top of and empowered in your sexual health and getting tested regularly is the best way to protect against STIs.

What is the difference between an STI and an STD?

There isnt much of a difference between STI and STD. No matter if people use the term sexually transmitted infection or sexually transmitted disease, they are talking about infections that get passed from one person to another during sex. STI is the most up-to-date term used by healthcare providers and sexual health educators, as the word infection is more accurate and less stigmatizing than the word disease.

Furthermore, infections happen when viruses or bacteria enter the body and the immune system mobilizes to fight them off, whereas disease happens when an infection leads to damage and illness in the body. Long story short: most infections never turn into diseases. This is especially true for STIs, as many people are asymptomatic and dont know when they have one, and they can often be treated or cured before they cause damage.

Other STIs

Characterization Of Endometrial And Cervical Epithelial And Stromal Cell Cultures

Primary human endometrial and cervical EC cultures were examined for growth to confluence and for purity. The TER measurement was used to monitor establishment of tight junctions as polarized EC cultures reached confluence. The TER values of typical endometrial EC monolayers increased from 150 ohms at the initiation of cultures to 8001200 ohms after 57 days in culture . Cervical EC monolayers in general had higher TER values, up to 4500 ohms after approximately 78 days in culture . Endometrial and cervical EC monolayers were viable for approximately 20 days in culture, after which TERs fell below 700 ohms. The presence of high TER values indicated that the cultures were enriched for columnar ECs that formed tight junctions. EC cultures were found to be confluent by hematoxylin staining .

Growth of endometrial and cervical epithelial monolayers. A) Average TERs from Day 2 to 20 on endometrial and cervical EC cultures. Graph is a representation based on the TERs of one patient’s endometrial and cervical EC culture. Control TERs were measured from cell-culture inserts coated with Matrigel, but without any cells. Note that in this patient, the cervical TERs started to increase at Day 8 of culture. B) Following 710 days in culture, endometrial and EC monolayers were hematoxylin stained and mounted on glass slides. Magnifications ×100 and ×200 .

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