[Epidemiological characterization of COVID-2019 in Mexican pregnant women: a cohort study]. / Caracterización epidemiológica de la COVID-2019 en población obstétrica mexicana: estudio de cohorte.

Background: COVID-19 in pregnancy can increase the risk of complications due to the cardiorespiratory and immunological changes typical of pregnancy. Objective: To report the epidemiological characterization of COVID-19 in Mexican pregnant women. Material and methods: Cohort study on pregnant women with a positive COVID-19 test, which were followed until delivery and one month later. Results: 758 pregnant women were included in the analysis. Mothers' mean age was 28.8 ± 6.1 years; the majority were workers 497 (65.6%) and with an urban origin (482, 63.6%); the most common blood group was O with 458 (63.0%); 478 (63.0%) were nulliparous women and more than 25% had some comorbidities; the average gestation weeks at infection were 34.4 ± 5.1 weeks; only 170 pregnant women (22.4%) received vaccination; the most frequent vaccine was BioNTech Pfizer (96, 60%); there were no serious adverse events attributed to vaccination. The mean gestational age at delivery was 35.4 ± 5.2 weeks; 85% of pregnancies were cesarean section; the most frequent complication was prematurity (406, 53.5%), followed by preeclampsia (199, 26.2%); there were 5 cases of maternal death and 39 cases of perinatal death. Conclusions: COVID-19 in pregnancy increases the risk of preterm birth, preeclampsia, and maternal death. Vaccination against COVID-19 in this series showed no risk for pregnant women and their newborns.

Introducción: la COVID-19 en el embarazo puede incrementar el riesgo de complicaciones debido a los cambios cardiorrespiratorios e inmunológicos propios de la gestación. Objetivo: reportar la caracterización epidemiológica de la COVID-19 en población obstétrica mexicana. Material y métodos: estudio de cohorte en embarazadas con prueba positiva para COVID-19 que fueron seguidas hasta la resolución del embarazo y un mes después. Resultados: 758 mujeres embarazadas fueron incluidas en el análisis. La media de edad en las madres fue 28.8 ± 6.1 años; la mayoría trabajadoras 497 (65.6%) y de origen urbano (482, 63.6%); el grupo sanguíneo más común fue O 458 (63.0%); 478 (63.0%) fueron primigestas, y más del 25% padecía comorbilidades; las semanas de gestación promedio al contagio fueron 34.4 ± 5.1 semanas; solo 170 gestantes (22.4%) recibieron vacunación; la vacuna más frecuente fue BioNTech Pfizer (96, 60%); no hubo eventos adversos graves atribuibles a la vacunación. La edad gestacional media al nacer fue de 35.4 ± 5.2 semanas; el 85% de los embarazos se interrumpieron por cesárea; la complicación más frecuente fue la prematurez con 406 (53.5%), seguida de preeclampsia con 199 (26.2%); hubo 5 casos de muerte materna y 39 casos de muerte perinatal. Conclusiones: la COVID-19 en el embarazo aumenta el riesgo de parto prematuro, preeclampsia y muerte materna. Al menos en esta serie la vacunación contra COVID-19 no mostró riesgo para las mujeres embarazadas y sus recién nacidos.

Engineered nanomaterials that exploit blood-brain barrier dysfunction for delivery to the brain.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a highly regulated physical and functional boundarythat tightly controls the transport of materials between the blood and the brain. There is an increasing recognition that the BBB is dysfunctional in a wide range of neurological disorders; this dysfunction can be symptomatic of the disease but can also play a role in disease etiology. BBB dysfunction can be exploited for the delivery of therapeutic nanomaterials. Forexample, there can be a transient, physical disruption of the BBB in diseases such as brain injury and stroke, which allows temporary access of nanomaterials into the brain. Physicaldisruption of the BBB through external energy sources is now being clinically pursued toincrease therapeutic delivery into the brain. In other diseases, the BBB takes on new properties that can beleveraged by delivery carriers. For instance, neuroinflammation induces the expression ofreceptors on the BBB that can be targeted by ligand-modified nanomaterials, and theendogenous homing of immune cells into the diseased brain can be hijacked for the delivery ofnanomaterials. Lastly, BBB transport pathways can be altered to increase nanomaterial transport. In this review, we will describe changes that can occur in the BBB in disease, and how these changes have been exploited by engineered nanomaterials forincreased transport into the brain.

Mexican Validation of the MOS Questionnaire on Perceived Social Support in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a very negative impact on people's overall mental health and psychosocial well-being, but the study of available social support to cope with such an adverse situation has received hardly any attention. Objective: To examine the psychometric properties of the MOS Perceived Social Support Questionnaire among the Mexican population in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: Non-experimental cross-sectional study. A sociodemographic questionnaire and the Medical Outcomes Study were applied in a non-probabilistic sample. A total of 898 people from different regions in Mexico, 258 males and 640 females, participated in the study in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: The analysis yielded a bi-factor model with two factors, Emotional/informational support and Tangible support, with satisfactory goodness of fit indices. Reliability was adequate with a high hierarchical omega coefficient, as well as in the factors. Likewise, the H coefficient was adequate in the general factor and its dimensions. Conclusions: Results showed that the scale is a valid and reliable measure of perceived social support among the Mexican population.

Introducción: La pandemia de COVID-19 ha tenido un impacto muy negativo en la salud mental y el bienestar psicosocial general de las personas, pero el estudio del apoyo social disponible para hacer frente a una situación tan adversa como esta ha recibido muy poca atención. Objetivo: Examinar las propiedades psicométricas del Cuestionario MOS de Apoyo Social Percibido en población mexicana en contexto de pandemia por COVID-19. Método: Diseño no experimental transversal. Se aplicó un cuestionario sociodemográfico y el Medical Outcomes Study en una muestra no probabilística por conveniencia. Participaron 898 personas de diferentes regiones de México, 258 hombres y 640 mujeres, durante el contexto de la pandemia por COVID-19. Resultados: El análisis arrojó un modelo Bi-factor de dos factores Apoyo emocional/ informacional y Apoyo tangible, con índices de bondad que se ajustaron a los datos. La fiabilidad fue adecuada con un coeficiente de omega jerárquico alto, así como en los factores. Asimismo, el coeficiente H fue adecuado en el factor general y sus dimensiones. Conclusiones: La escala presenta validez y confiabilidad para medir el apoyo social percibido en población mexicana.

Screening de enfermedad renal crónica en pacientes diabéticos de larga evolución de la UMF (unidad de medicina familiar) 222

Contexto: la nefropatía diabética es la primera causa de enfermedad renal crónica en el mundo, sin embargo, no existe información de la prevalencia de Enfermedad Renal Crónica (ERC) en estadios tempranos en México. Una tarea fundamental del primer nivel de atención es la detección oportuna de enfermedades y la ERC en pacientes diabéticos es subdiagnosticada en estadios tempranos al ser asintomática. Objetivo: determinar la frecuencia y la estadificación de ERC en pacientes con diabetes mellitus tipo 2 de larga evolución en una unidad de primer nivel de atención, en el estado de México. Metodología: estudio transversal descriptivo. Se incluyeron 263 pacientes calculados por fórmula de población finita y selección aleatoria simple. Se incluyeron pacientes con diabetes tipo 2, ≥ 5 años de evolución, sin encontrarse en terapia sustitutiva de la función renal que cumplieran los criterios de inclusión. Las variables de estudio: características sociodemográficas y la estimación de la tasa de filtración glomerular por la ecuación CKD-EPI fueron descritas en frecuencias y porcentajes para variables categóricas y las variables continuas se reportaron medias y de desviación estándar, la diferencia entre grupos fue establecida por medio de prueba de Chi cuadrado o prueba exacta de Fisher y distribución t de student, de acuerdo con el tipo de variable. Un valor de p ˂ 0,05 fue considerado estadísticamente significativo. Resultados: la clasificación Kdigo presenta seis estadios y los resultados con respecto al grado de filtrado glomerular fueron: estadio 1 con 39,5 % (IC 95 %, 34,2-45,6), estadio 2 con 38,8 % (IC 95 %, 32,7-44,5), estadio 3a con 8 % (IC 95 %, 4,9-11,4), estadio 3b con 5,7 % (IC 95 %, 3,4-8,7), estadio 4 con 6,8 % (IC 95 %, 3,8-9,9) y el estadio 5 con 1,1 % (IC 95 % 0,0-2,7). El promedio de edad fue 69,26 ±11,01 en el grupo con ERC, en la segmentación por género estuvo: masculino en el grupo con ERC con 59,6 % y femenino con 40,3 %. Con respecto a comorbilidades, hipertensión arterial y tratamiento al analizarlas en grupos con ausencia de ERC y presencia de ERC fueron estadísticamente significativas, lo mismo en los resultados de laboratorio. Conclusiones: la prevalencia de sospecha de ERC en nuestra población es de 21 %, al menos 1 de cada 5 pacientes diabéticos con ≥ 5 años de evolución padecen una disminución del FG, sin embargo, no podemos considerarla ERC hasta que se valore la presencia de daño renal y corroborarlo a los tres meses.

Background: Diabetic nephropathy is the main cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD), however, there are no data available about the prevalence of chronic kidney disease in the early stages in Mexico. A key role in first level attention consists in performing timely screenings for diseases such as CKD. In most cases CKD is underdiagnosed in early stages, because it is asymptomatic. Purpose: To determine the frequency of CKD in long-standing diabetes type 2 Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study. We included 263 patients with diabetes type 2 with at least 5 years of evolution, not undergoing renal function replacement therapy. The variables of this study were: sociodemographic characteristics and estimation of the glomerular filtration rate through the CKD-EPI equation. Categorical variables were summarized as frequencies and percentages. For continuous variables, mean and standard deviation were reported. The significance of differences between groups was assessed by Student's t-test or square chi or Fisher's exact test, and p-value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: the KDIGO classification has 5 stages. The results regarding the degree of glomerular filtration: stage 1 with 39.5% (95% CI, 34.2-45.6) , stage 2 with 38.8% ( 95% CI, 32.77-44.5),stage 3a with 8% ( 95% CI, 4.9-11.4), stage 3b with 5.7% (95% CI, 3.4-8.7), grade 4 with 6.8% (95% CI, 3.8-9.9) and stage 5 with 1.1% (95% CI 0.0-2.7). The average age was 69.26 ± 11.01 in the group with CKD. Male gender predominated in the group CKD with 34 (59.6%) and 23 (40.3%), for female. Regarding comorbidities, hypertension arterial and treatment when analyzed for either absence or presence of CKD were statistically significant. The same findings can be obtained in laboratory results. Conclusion: The prevalence of suspected CKD in our population is 21%, at least 1 in 5 diabetic patients with ≥5 years of evolution suffer a decrease in GFR; however, we cannot consider it to be CKD until the presence of kidney damage is assessed and confirmed at 3 months.

Salud mental en población mexicana por COVID-19 / Mental health in the Mexican population due to COVID-19

Este artículo analiza el estado de salud mental de población adulta de México en el contexto de pandemia ocasionada por el virus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). Participaron 899 participantes de diferentes regiones de México Medad = 34. 8, DE= 11.38, mujeres= 641, hombres=258, durante el contexto de pandemia por COVID-19. Los instrumentos aplicados fueron la Escala de Miedo al COVID-19 (FCV-19S), la Escala para el Trastorno de Ansiedad Generalizada (GAD-7), el Test de Propósito de Vida (PIL), el Cuestionario de Salud del Paciente (PHQ-9) y el Cuestionario Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) para el apoyo social. La aplicación se realizó de manera individual, durante el período del 12 de junio al 14 de septiembre de 2020. Los resultados indicaron que los participantes no presentaron síntomas agudos de miedo hacia la COVID-19. No obstante, se encontró presencia considerable de ansiedad generalizada y de depresión en diferentes niveles. El apoyo social y propósito de vida se encuentran presentes, contrarrestando la ansiedad y la depresión, mientras que el miedo y la cantidad de horas de exposición a pensamientos sobre COVID-19 contribuyeron de forma positiva a estas variables psicológicas. Se concluye que la crisis sanitaria ocasionada por COVID-19 ha impactado fuertemente en la salud mental de los participantes, no obstante, existen fortalezas como el apoyo social y el propósito de vida que ayudan a sobrellevar los efectos de la pandemia y se debería trabajar en ellas para promover la salud mental durante los momentos de la crisis sanitaria(AU)

This paper analyzes the status of mental health of the adult population of Mexico in the context of the pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus (COVID-19). This article analyzes the mental health status of the adult population of Mexico in the context of the pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus (COVID-19). A total of 899 participants from different regions of Mexico participated, M age = 34.8, SD= 11.38, women= 641, men=258, during the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The instruments applied were the COVID-19 Fear Scale (FCV-19S), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), the Purpose I Life Test (PIL), the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ -9) and the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) Questionnaire for social support. The application was carried out individually, during the period from June 12 to September 14, 2020. The results indicated that the participants did not present acute symptoms of fear towards COVID-19. However, a considerable presence of generalized anxiety and depression was found at different levels. Social support and life purpose are present, counteracting anxiety and depression, while fear and the number of hours of exposure to thoughts about COVID-19 contributed positively to these psychological variables. It is concluded that the health crisis caused by COVID-19 has strongly impacted on the mental health of the participants; however, there are strengths such as social support and life purpose that help to cope with the effects of the pandemic. Therefore, these two strengths should be worked on to promote mental health during times of health crisis(AU)

Electrokinetic characterization of synthetic protein nanoparticles.

The application of nanoparticle in medicine is promising for the treatment of a wide variety of diseases. However, the slow progress in the field has resulted in relatively few therapies being translated into the clinic. Anisotropic synthetic protein nanoparticles (ASPNPs) show potential as a next-generation drug-delivery technology, due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and functionality. Even though ASPNPs have the potential to be used in a variety of applications, such as in the treatment of glioblastoma, there is currently no high-throughput technology for the processing of these particles. Insulator-based electrokinetics employ microfluidics devices that rely on electrokinetic principles to manipulate micro- and nanoparticles. These miniaturized devices can selectively trap and enrich nanoparticles based on their material characteristics, and subsequently release them, which allows for particle sorting and processing. In this study, we use insulator-based electrokinetic (EK) microdevices to characterize ASPNPs. We found that anisotropy strongly influences electrokinetic particle behavior by comparing compositionally identical anisotropic and non-anisotropic SPNPs. Additionally, we were able to estimate the empirical electrokinetic equilibrium parameter (eE EEC) for all SPNPs. This particle-dependent parameter can allow for the design of various separation and purification processes. These results show how promising the insulator-based EK microdevices are for the analysis and purification of clinically relevant SPNPs.

Multifunctional Synthetic Protein Nanoparticles via Reactive Electrojetting.

Protein nanoparticles are a promising approach for nanotherapeutics, as proteins combine versatile chemical and biological function with controlled biodegradability. In this work, the development of an adaptable synthesis method is presented for synthetic protein nanoparticles (SPNPs) based on reactive electrojetting. In contrast to past work with electrohydrodynamic cojetting using inert polymers, the jetting solutions are comprised of proteins and chemically activated macromers, designed to react with each other during the processing step, to form insoluble nanogel particles. SPNPs made from a variety of different proteins, such as transferrin, insulin, or hemoglobin, are stable and uniform under physiological conditions and maintain monodisperse sizes of around 200 nm. SPNPs comprised of transferrin and a disulfide containing macromer are stimuli-responsive, and serve as markers of oxidative stress within HeLa cells. Beyond isotropic SPNPs, bicompartmental nanoparticles containing human serum albumin and transferrin in two distinct hemispheres are prepared via reactive electrojetting. This novel platform provides access to a novel class of versatile protein particles with nanoscale architectures that i) can be made from a variety of proteins and macromers, ii) have tunable biological responses, and iii) can be multicompartmental, a prerequisite for controlled release of multiple drugs.

Cost of medical attention in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease / Costo de la atención médica en pacientes con enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica

Background: The chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a preventable entity, when it develops the patient suffers severe complications, with a high economic impact for the patient and for health services. Objetive: To determine the cost of medical care in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods: Using a cost design, the files of patients with COPD who attended the pulmonology clinic were analyzed. The size of the sample (n = 265) was calculated with the formula of averages of a finite population. The sample units were captured with the simple random technique. The study variables were: sociodemographic characteristics, characteristics of COPD, annual use profile, unit cost per service, total cost per service and total cost of medical care. The analysis plan included averages, percentages, confidence intervals and health expenditure projections. Results: The average annual cost of patient care with COPD was $ 89 479.08, of which $ 61 267.63 corresponded to medications. With a COPD prevalence of 25% in a population of 46 million, the calculated cost of care was $ 347 805 183 960. Conclusion: The cost of medical care in patients with COPD was high, at the expense of medications.

Introducción: la enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica es una entidad prevenible, cuando se desarrolla, el enfermo sufre complicaciones severas, con un alto impacto económico para el paciente y para los servicios de salud. Objetivo: determinar el costo de la atención médica en pacientes con enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica (EPOC). Métodos: con un diseño de costos se analizaron los expedientes de pacientes con EPOC que acudieron a consulta de neumología. El tamaño de la muestra (n = 265) se calculó con la fórmula de promedios de una población finita. Las unidades muestrales se capturaron con la técnica aleatoria simple. Las variables de estudio fueron: características sociodemográficas, características de la EPOC, perfil de uso anual, costo unitario por servicio, costo total por servicio y costo total de la atención médica. El plan de análisis incluyó promedios, porcentajes, intervalos de confianza y proyecciones del gasto en salud. Resultados: el costo promedio anual de la atención del paciente con EPOC fue $89 479.08, de los cuales $61 267.63 correspondieron a medicamentos. Con una prevalencia de EPOC de 25% en una población de 46 millones, el costo calculado de la atención fue $347 805 183 960. Conclusión: el costo de la atención médica en pacientes con EPOC fue alto en buena medida a expensas de los medicamentos.