Clinical comparison of two Mexican coccidioidins.

Coccidioidin, an extract from the saprophytic mycelial form of Coccidioides spp., has been a very useful antigen preparation both for skin and serological tests for coccidioidomycosis. Unfortunately, coccidioidin is not currently available for skin testing in the United States. Coccidioidin has been produced commercially in Mexico by a vaccine and reagents laboratory of the Mexican Federal Government. It also has been produced at the Microbiology Laboratory of the Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México exclusively as an antigen for research projects. The objective of the study was to compare both coccidioidins in their reactivity and safety when applied in humans. One hundred and eighty-four volunteers were tested; median age was 33 (range 14-82). When the cutoff point is set in 5 mm, 88 subjects (47.8%) had a positive test for the commercial coccidioidin and 76 (41.3%; CI(95%) 0.50, 1.15; P = 0.20) were positive with the research antigen. Seventy-five subjects were positive for both antigens and 96 were negative for both. Fifty-nine subjects (31.3%) reported an adverse reaction after the application of the antigen; they were mostly very mild local reactions. Mexican research coccidioidin is a safe and reliable antigen that can be used for the detection of coccidioidomycosis infection in mammals.

Molecular identification of coccidioides isolates from Mexican patients.

Molecular studies of the genome of the fungus Coccidioides have demonstrated two nearly identical, but well-identified species, Coccidioides immitis and C. posadasii, known as "California" and "non-California" species, respectively. The objective of this study was to determine, through molecular methods, whether both species of Coccidioides are present in Mexican patients with coccidioidomycosis and to estimate, their geographical distribution in Mexico. We analyzed 56 clinical isolates of Coccidioides spp. from Mexican patients. Molecular identification of each strain was done by means of real time PCR using TaqMan(R) probes to amplify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in four target sequences, loci, named proline 157, proline 174, hexokinase 149 and glucose-synthase 192. SNP analysis identified two of the 56 isolates as Coccidioides immitis and the remaining 54 as C. posadasii. The dual probe assay that included proline 157, proline 174 and glucose-synthase 192 gave consistent results on SNP differentiation between the two species. In contrast, the template matching hexokinase 149 gave negative results for any species in 34 samples. Our results did not show geographical overlap of the species, and they also confirmed that C. posadasii is the most frequent species in Mexico. A vast majority of C. posadasii strains were localized in the north-central region of the country.

Grupos de Ayuda Mutua: Estrategia para el control de diabetes e hipertensión arterial / Mutual Help Groups: Diabetes and Hypertension Control Strategy

Objetivo: Evaluar el cumplimiento de las metas básicas de tratamiento de personas que asisten a los Grupos de Ayuda Mutua (GAM) de la Secretaría de Salud de México (SS), por padecer diabetes tipo 2. Material y métodos: Estudio transversal comparativo realizado en 15 estados de la república mexicana, a través de los reportes del cumplimiento de las metas básicas de tratamiento de integrantes de los GAM para junio de 2001, que se comparan con las cifras reportadas por el Sistema de Información en Salud para Población Abierta (SISPA) de la Secretaría de Salud en la misma fecha. Las variables estudiadas son: edad, sexo, glucemia, presión arterial, índice de masa corporal, actividad física y tratamiento farmacológico. Resultados: Se evaluó el cumplimiento de las metas básicas de tratamiento de 6,958 personas con diabetes, que asisten a los GAM de la Secretaría de Salud (SS) en 15 de los 32 estados de la república mexicana incluido el Distrito Federal. Al comparar las frecuencias de diabéticos controlados en los GAM y el SISPA, se apreció un diferencial, observándose una tendencia a estar más controlados en los GAM; al analizar con la prueba "t" de Student las diferencias resultaron significativas, con p < 0.005. El grupo de diabéticos obesos tuvieron un riesgo mayor de estar descontrolados, en relación al grupo de diabéticos no obesos, con una razón de momios de 1.18, IC 1.06 - 1.32 y P < 0.002. Al comparar el grupo sedentario con el no sedentario se encontró que los diabéticos sedentarios presentaban 1.56 veces más riesgo de estar descontrolados que el grupo de diabéticos que realizaba actividad física, por una razón de productos cruzados de 1.56, con IC 1.37 - 1.78 y P < 0.001. Conclusiones: Los Grupos de Ayuda Mutua son una estrategia fundamental en la línea educativa para mejorar el control de la enfermedad, ya que las personas con diabetes o hipertensión y sus familiares juegan un papel activo en el cumplimiento del desarrollo del tratamiento, así como en la prevención y control de la enfermedad. A diferencia con lo reportado en el SISPA, en los GAM se logran beneficios mayores en el control de las personas con diabetes o hipertensión.

Objective: To evaluate the accomplishment of the treatment basic goals of every person with diabetes type 2 that attend the Mutual Help Groups (GAM) of the Mexican Ministry of Health (SS). Material and methods: This transversal comparative study was carried out in 15 Mexican states, through the accomplishment reports of the treatment basic goals of the GAM integrants by June of 2001, compared to the reported figures by the Health Information System for Open Population (SISPA), Ministry of Health on the same date. The studied variables are: age, sex, blood glucose, blood pressure, body mass index, physical activity and pharmacological treatment. Results: The treatment basic goals accomplishment for 6, 958 people with diabetes was evaluated, all of them attended the Ministry of Health GAMs, in 15 of the 32 Mexican states including the Federal District. When comparing frequencies of patients with diabetes controlled by the GAM and the SISPA, a differential was appreciated, being observed a tendency that showed that people in the GAM were much more controlled; when analyzing with the test Student "t" the differences were even more significant (p < 0.005). The obese diabetics group had a higher risk of being uncontrolled, in relation to the group of non-obese diabetics (OR 1.8, CI: 1.06,1.32; p < 0.002). When comparing the sedentary to the non-sedentary group it was found that the sedentary diabetics presented 1.56 times higher risk of being uncontrolled, that those in the diabetes group that carried out physical activity (CI: 1.37,1.78; p < 0.001). Conclusions: The Mutual Help Groups are a fundamental strategy in the educational line for improving the disease control, since people with diabetes or hypertension and their relatives play an active role in treatment development accomplishment, as well as in the disease prevention and control. Unlike to that reported in the SISPA, the highest benefits of control, are achieved in people with diabetes or hypertension who attend the GAM.