Trichomoniasis, a new look at a common but neglected STI in African descendance population in the United States and the Black Diaspora. A review of its incidence, research prioritization, and the resulting health disparities

Immunolocalization and 3D modeling of three unique proteins belonging to the costa of Tritrichomonas foetus

Nowadays, even in light of all the massive advances in cell biology, we still find some cellular structures that are not entirely understood. Among those, we highlight the costa, a structure from the mastigont system existent only in some members of the orders Trichomonadida and Tritrichomonadida, including the pathogens of venereal diseases in humans and cattle, Trichomonas vaginalis (T. vaginalis) and Tritrichomonas foetus (T. foetus), respectively. The costa is a prominent striated fiber and, although part of the cytoskeleton, differs from its classical components, and its molecular composition is still not fully characterized. Using proteomics of T. foetus's costa fraction, we previously identified hypothetic proteins, and among these, the protein ARM19800.1 positively localized in the costa and named costain-1. In this study, two other protein candidates were analyzed. To achieve the specific localization of 11810 and 32137 proteins in T. foetus's cells, it was used expansion microscopy and immunocytochemistry. The immunofluorescence revealed the presence of both proteins throughout the whole costa but with different intensities. Immunocytochemistry using negative staining, LR-White, and Epon embedding revealed further analyses of the protein's localization. All techniques confirmed the distinct and distributed localization of both proteins: costain-2 (11810) and costain-3 (32137). Also, AlfaFold3 was used to generate 3D models of the three identified proteins, showing a major prevalence of α-helical spans. Nonetheless, the identification and further characterization of these unique proteins can help understand their functional role in the assembled costa and, therefore, better understand the organization and function of this structure in these organisms.

Schistosomiasis endemicity and its role in sexually transmitted infections - a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction

Schistosomiasis, a tropical parasitic disease, affects 779 million people globally, with 85% of cases in Africa. The interplay between schistosomiasis and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can exacerbate health burdens, but most attention has focused on interactions with HIV, neglecting coinfections with other STIs. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to understand the role Schistosoma infections play in STIs within schistosomiasis-endemic populations.

Methods

The study is a systematic review and meta-analysis investigating the link between Schistosoma infections and STIs in endemic regions. It uses PRISMA guidelines, electronic databases, and Google Scholar to assess prevalence, associations, and heterogeneity, reducing bias using a Meta-Mar statistical tool.

Results

A quantitative synthesis of 33 articles from 1975-2024 involved 22,587 participants from 13 countries, including regions in Africa, France, and China, examining coinfections of schistosomiasis and STIs, including HIV. The pooled estimates showed a significant risk association between schistosomiasis and STIs [RR (95% CI) = 1.18, (1.13-1.24); z/t = 7.55, p<0.0001] using a fixed effect model. Cochran's Q test (Tau2 = 0.5061, Chi2 = 476.65, df = 32, p<0.01) indicated significant heterogeneity. The Higgins I2 statistic of 93.0% (91.5%-94.7%), H = 3.86 (3.43-4.33), highlighted substantial variance between studies. Subgroup analysis showed West Africa [Weight IV = 1.7%, RR (95% CI) = 1.78 (1.28-2.47), I2 = 59%], East Africa [Weight IV = 10.5%, RR (95% CI) = 0.99 (0.86-1.13), I2 = 54%], and Southern Africa [Weight IV = 82.0%, RR (95% CI) = 1.16 (1.10-1.21), I2 = 97%] contributed significantly to the high heterogeneity in the pooled analysis. Females had a notably higher risk of STIs in the context of schistosomiasis (k = 17, RR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.23-1.37, Q = 316.78, I2 = 94.9%), compared to males (k = 6, RR: 0.94, 95% CI: 0.77-1.15, Q = 53.44, I2 = 90.6%) and the combined group of females and males (k = 9, RR: 0.95, 95% CI: 0.88-1.02, Q = 16.38, I2 = 50.2%).

Conclusion

The study found a high risk of coinfections between schistosomiasis and STIs, particularly in West and Southern Africa, confirming female genital schistosomiasis as a major risk for STIs.

The Effects of Medical Male Circumcision on Female Partners' Sexual and Reproductive Health

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) reduces the risk of HIV acquisition by 60% among heterosexual men, provides protection against certain sexually transmitted infections (STI), and leads to penile microbiome composition changes associated with reduced risk of HIV infection. Intuitively, the benefits of VMMC for female sex partners in relation to STI are likely and have been evaluated. The purpose of this review is to examine emerging findings of broader sexual and reproductive health (SRH) benefits of VMMC for female sex partners.

RECENT FINDINGS

Systematic reviews find strong evidence for beneficial effects of VMMC on female sex partners risk of HPV, cervical dysplasia, cervical cancer, and with likely protection against trichomoniasis and certain genital ulcerative infections. Few studies assess the direct impact of VMMC on the vaginal microbiome (VMB), though several studies demonstrate reductions in BV, which is mediated by the VMB. Studies are lacking regarding male circumcision status and outcomes associated with non-optimal VMB, such as female infertility and adverse pregnancy outcomes. VMMC has positive effects on women's perceptions of sexual function and satisfaction, and perceptions of disease risk and hygiene, without evidence of risk compensation. VMMC has consistent association with a broad range of women's SRH outcomes, highlighting the biological and non-biological interdependencies within sexual relationships, and need for couples-level approaches to optimize SRH for men and women. The paucity of information on VMMC and influence on VMB is a barrier to optimizing VMB-associated SRH outcomes in female partners.