Milk intake and IGF-1 rs6214 polymorphism as protective factors to obesity.

Mexico ranks 2nd in adult obesity and 4th in milk intake worldwide. Low levels of IGF-1 have been related to obesity and can be reverted by milk intake. The rs6214 polymorphism has been associated with an increase in the expression of IGF-1. Therefore, the aim of the study was to evaluate the association between both, rs6214 polymorphism and milk intake, and obesity. We analysed 99 adult volunteers, with and without a history of milk intake, for the presence of this polymorphism through qPCR and body composition by electro-bioimpedance. Univariate logistic regression analyses showed that TT genotype is inversely associated with obesity and body fat mass. Besides, milk intake is also related to low obesity, body fat mass and visceral fat, and high percentage of lean mass. Multivariate logistic regression analyses confirm the univariate relationships, showing a clear inverted association between TT genotype, milk intake and obesity.

Prevalence, antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes of Escherichia coli isolated from retail meat in Tamaulipas, Mexico.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determinate the prevalence of Escherichia coli and its resistance to antimicrobials and the presence of virulence genes in retail samples of beef and pork in several locations in Tamaulipas, Mexico. METHODS: A total of 106 samples (54 beef and 52 pork) collected from August 2013 to March 2014 were analysed to detect E. coli isolates. The E. coli isolates were then analysed for detection of virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance genes. Antimicrobial susceptibility to 16 antimicrobial agents was also determined. RESULTS: A total of 158 E. coli isolates were obtained, among which 3 (1.9%) harboured the virulence gene stx1, 28 (17.7%) harboured stx2 and 34 (21.5%) harboured hlyA. High phenotypic resistance was observed in almost all isolates, since 146 (92.4%) showed a multiresistant phenotype with resistance to cefalotin (92%), ampicillin (92%), cefotaxime (78%), nitrofurantoin (76%) and tetracycline (75%). The antimicrobial resistance genes tet(A) and tet(B) were detected in 56% of isolates, strA in 9.6%, aadA in 17% and aac(3)-IV in only 0.6% of strains. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these results, it can be concluded that retail beef and pork meat may play a role in the spread of antimicrobial-resistant E. coli strains in this region.

Alopecia Areata. Current situation and perspectives. / Alopecia areata. Actualidad y perspectivas.

Alopecia areata (AA) is a dermatological disease characterized by non-scarring hair loss of the scalp and/or body, with an unpredictable and variable evolution in the patients in which, despite multidisciplinary efforts, its etiology is not entirely known, although some evidence suggests that environmental, immunological and genetic factors could be generating the disease. The aim of this review is to provide an updated panorama of the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of AA, to analyze the mechanisms that could participate in its etiology, as well as to review some of the most important genetic variants that could confer susceptibility to the development of this disease.

La alopecia areata es un padecimiento dermatológico caracterizado por la pérdida de pelo no cicatricial del cuero cabelludo y/o del cuerpo, con una evolución impredecible y variable en los pacientes. A pesar de esfuerzos multidisciplinarios, su etiología sigue sin conocerse con exactitud, aunque algunas evidencias sugieren que factores ambientales, inmunológicos y genéticos podrían estar originando la enfermedad. El objetivo de esta revisión consiste en dar un panorama actual de las características clínicas, diagnóstico y tratamiento de la alopecia areata, analizar los mecanismos que podrían participar en su etiología, así como revisar algunas de las variantes génicas más importantes, que podrían conferir susceptibilidad al desarrollo de la enfermedad.

Bacterial Prevalence and Antibiotic Resistance in Clinical Isolates of Diabetic Foot Ulcers in the Northeast of Tamaulipas, Mexico.

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a serious and common problem in patients with diabetes mellitus and constitute one of the major causes of lower extremity amputation. The microbiological profile of DFUs depends on the acute or chronic character of the wound. Aerobic gram-positive cocci are the predominant organisms isolated from DFUs. Diabetic foot biopsies from patients admitted to the Angiology and Vascular Surgery Hospital of the Northeast, in Reynosa, Tamaulipas from December 2011 to April 2016 were analyzed. The samples were processed using standard microbiology techniques. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out according to the protocol established by the Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). We obtained 246 bacterial isolates, based on the results of phenotypic resistance. The least effective antibiotics for gram-positive bacteria were penicillin and dicloxacillin; for gram-negative bacteria, cefalotin and penicillin were the least effective. Levofloxacin, cefalotin, and amikacin were the most effective antibiotics for gram-positive and negative bacteria, respectively. Enterobacter genus was significantly associated with muscle biopsies ( P = .011) and samples without growth were significantly associated with specimens of pyogenic origin ( P = .000). In 215 DFU samples, we found that Staphylococcus aureus was the most commonly isolated pathogen followed by Enterobacter sp. This is consistent with previous reports. Enterobacter species may play an important role in the colonization/infection of certain tissues; however, further studies are needed in this regard.

De la genética a la genómica en el diseño de nuevas vacunas contra la tuberculosis / From genetics to genomics in the rational design of new Mycobacterium tuberculosis vaccines

La tuberculosis es una enfermedad infectocontagiosa que afecta a seres humanos de todas las edades, y se considera que la tercera parte de la población mundial está infectada con el bacilo de Koch. Aunque la vacuna BCG es aplicada sistemáticamente en áreas endémicas, su efectividad varía de 0-80% dependiendo de diversos factores que incluyen: la cepa vacunal utilizada, la exposición a micobacterias ambientales, e incluso a factores genéticos. La incidencia de la enfermedad va en aumento en todo el mundo, y es urgente contar con una vacuna alternativa a la BGC. En la presente revisión se hace una descripción de las estrategias moleculares puntuales y a escala genómica que se están llevando a cabo para el diseño de una nueva vacuna, y se pone de manifiesto la necesidad del uso de las nuevas tecnologías de alto rendimiento para lograr un diseño verdaderamente racional de una nueva vacuna contra la tuberculosis (AU)

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease affecting people from all ages all over the world. It is estimatedthat one third of the world population lives infected with the causal agent: Mycobacterium tuberculosis.Despite availability and systematic administration of BCG vaccine in endemic areas, TB transmissionremains elusive to control, partly because BGC efficacy has been shown to have wide variability (0-80%).Such variability in protection is attributed to factors including: the BCG strain used for immunization, preexistingexposure to environmental saprophytic Mycobacterium species, and host genetic factors. In thiscontext, efforts regarding to re-engineeringBCGvaccines with the ability to prevent latent TB reactivation,providing long lasting protection, and devoid from collateral effects in immunosuppressed people areurgent. In this work we review the actual molecular «gene-by-gene» strategies aimed at generating BCGalternatives, and discuss the urgent necessity of high throughput technology methods for a rational designfor a new TB vaccine (AU)

[From genetics to genomics in the rational design of new Mycobacterium tuberculosis vaccines]. / De la genética a la genómica en el diseño de nuevas vacunas contra la tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease affecting people from all ages all over the world. It is estimated that one third of the world population lives infected with the causal agent: Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Despite availability and systematic administration of BCG vaccine in endemic areas, TB transmission remains elusive to control, partly because BGC efficacy has been shown to have wide variability (0-80%). Such variability in protection is attributed to factors including: the BCG strain used for immunization, pre-existing exposure to environmental saprophytic Mycobacterium species, and host genetic factors. In this context, efforts regarding to re-engineering BCG vaccines with the ability to prevent latent TB reactivation, providing long lasting protection, and devoid from collateral effects in immunosuppressed people are urgent. In this work we review the actual molecular «gene-by-gene¼ strategies aimed at generating BCG alternatives, and discuss the urgent necessity of high throughput technology methods for a rational design for a new TB vaccine.

Thyroid hormones according to gestational age in pregnant Spanish women.

BACKGROUND: Thyroid function changes during pregnancy and maternal thyroid dysfunction have been associated with adverse outcomes. Our aim was to evaluate thyroid hormones levels in pregnant women resident in Aragon, Spain. FINDINGS: Samples for 1198 pregnant women with no apparent thyroid disorders were analyzed, using paramagnetic microparticle and chemiluminescent detection technologies, in order to determine levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO-Ab), and thyroglobulin antibodies (Tg-Ab). Of the women in our sample, 85.22% had normal values for TPO-Ab and Tg-Ab and 14.77% had results revealing the presence of autoimmune diseases of the thyroid. The thyroid hormone reference values obtained according to gestational age (in brackets) were as follows: for free T3, values were 3.38 +/- 0.52 pg/mL (<11 weeks), 3.45 +/- 0.54 pg/mL (11-20 weeks), 3.32 +/- 0.43 pg/mL (21-30 weeks), 3.21 +/- 0.53 pg/mL (31-36 weeks), and 3.23 +/- 0.41 pg/mL (>36 weeks); for free T4, values were 1.10 +/- 0.14 ng/dL (<10 weeks), 1.04 +/- 0.14 ng/dL (11-20 weeks), 0.93 +/- 0.12 ng/dL (21-30 weeks), 0.90 +/- 0.13 ng/dL (31-36 weeks), and 0.80 +/- 0.21 ng/dL (>36 weeks); and for TSH, values were (muIU/mL): 1.12 +/- 0.69 (<10 weeks), 1.05 +/- 0.67 (11-20 weeks), 1.19 +/- 0.60 (21-30 weeks), 1.38 +/- 0.76 (31-36 weeks), and 1.46 +/- 0.72 (>36 weeks). CONCLUSION: Pregnant women with normal antibody values according to gestational age had values for FT4 and TSH, but not for FT3, that differed to a statistically significant degree. The values we describe can be used as reference values for the Aragon region of Spain.