First Report of Cymbidium mosaic virus and Odontoglossum ringspot virus in Orchids in Mexico.

In 2010, a survey for viral diseases in commercial, orchid-producing greenhouses was carried out in Morelos, Mexico. Many symptomatic plants were observed. The most common leaf symptoms were yellow mottle, yellow streaks, and chlorotic and necrotic ringspots. Leaf samples were collected from eight symptomatic plants from the following genera: Encyclia, Oncidium, Shomburghia, Brassia, Guarianthe, Cattleya, Epidendrum, Vanilla, Xilobium, Laelia, and Brassocattleya. Samples were tested using double-antibody sandwich (DAS)-ELISA (Agdia, Elkhart, IN) with antiserum for Cymbidium mosaic virus (CymMV), Odontoglossum ringspot virus (ORSV), Cymbidium ringspot mosaic virus, and Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and a general antiserum for potyviruses. At least one plant from each genus was positive to CymMV and ORSV as individual or mixed infections. Encyclia and Laelia plants were the most frequently found with mixed infections by both viruses. All genera were negative for TMV and potyviruses. Total RNA extracts were obtained from all ELISA-positive samples by a modified silica capture protocol (2). Reverse transcription (RT)-PCR was carried out with general polymerase (RdRp) gene primers corresponding to the Potexvirus group (3) and specific primers for the coat protein gene (CP) of CymMV and ORSV (1). The PCR amplification from a positive sample of each genus was resolved in agarose gels. Amplification products of the expected size were obtained for CymMV and ORSV. Five CymMV RdRp gene clones from five different plants of Laelia (GenBank Accession Nos. HQ393958, HQ393959, HQ393960, HQ393961, and HQ393962), two CP gene clones of CP gene of CymMV from two different plants of Oncidium (GenBank Accession Nos. HQ393956 and HQ393957), and three CP clones of CP of ORSV from three different plants of Encyclia (GenBank Accession Nos. HQ393953, HQ393954, and HQ393955) were sequenced. The nucleotide sequences of the Mexican orchid CymMV isolates were 96 to 97% identical to CymMV sequences in the GenBank, while those of ORSV were 99 to 100% identical to deposited ORSV sequences. To our knowledge, this is the first report of CymMV and ORSV in orchids in Mexico, which are two of the most important quarantine virus in orchids in Mexico. References: (1) P. Ajjikuttira et al. J. Gen. Virol. 86:1543, 2005. (2) J. R. Thompson et al. J. Virol. Methods 111:85, 2003. (3) R. A. A. van der Vlugt and M. Berendsen. Eur. J. Plant Pathol. 108:367, 2002.

Genome-wide association study of type 2 diabetes in a sample from Mexico City and a meta-analysis of a Mexican-American sample from Starr County, Texas.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: We report a genome-wide association study of type 2 diabetes in an admixed sample from Mexico City and describe the results of a meta-analysis of this study and another genome-wide scan in a Mexican-American sample from Starr County, TX, USA. The top signals observed in this meta-analysis were followed up in the Diabetes Genetics Replication and Meta-analysis Consortium (DIAGRAM) and DIAGRAM+ datasets. METHODS: We analysed 967 cases and 343 normoglycaemic controls. The samples were genotyped with the Affymetrix Genome-wide Human SNP array 5.0. Associations of genotyped and imputed markers with type 2 diabetes were tested using a missing data likelihood score test. A fixed-effects meta-analysis including 1,804 cases and 780 normoglycaemic controls was carried out by weighting the effect estimates by their inverse variances. RESULTS: In the meta-analysis of the two Hispanic studies, markers showing suggestive associations (p < 10(-5)) were identified in two known diabetes genes, HNF1A and KCNQ1, as well as in several additional regions. Meta-analysis of the two Hispanic studies and the recent DIAGRAM+ dataset identified genome-wide significant signals (p < 5 × 10(-8)) within or near the genes HNF1A and CDKN2A/CDKN2B, as well as suggestive associations in three additional regions, IGF2BP2, KCNQ1 and the previously unreported C14orf70. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: We observed numerous regions with suggestive associations with type 2 diabetes. Some of these signals correspond to regions described in previous studies. However, many of these regions could not be replicated in the DIAGRAM datasets. It is critical to carry out additional studies in Hispanic and American Indian populations, which have a high prevalence of type 2 diabetes.

Isolation and characterization of new facultative alkaliphilic Bacillus flexus strains from maize processing waste water (nejayote).

AIMS: This work describes the isolation and characterization of two new alkaliphilic micro-organisms present in nejayote. METHODS AND RESULTS: Samples of fresh industrial nejayote were plated on nejayote medium and incubated for 4 days at 37 °C. Isolates were identified based on morphological and physiological characteristics, as well as 16S rDNA sequence analysis. Two gram-positive strains, NJY2 and NJY4, able to hydrolyse starch, xylan, and gelatin were isolated from nejayote. Comparative sequence analysis of 16S rDNA and phylogenetic studies indicate that the micro-organisms studied were closely related to members of the Bacillus flexus species. The strains were identified as facultative alkaliphilic salt tolerant bacteria. Isolate NJY2 produced cell associated phenolic acid esterases, able to release ferulic acid from nixtamalised corn bran and ethyl and methyl esters. CONCLUSIONS: The isolated strains of B. flexus NJY2 and NJY4 showed important physiological properties to produce high-value molecules from agroindustrial by-products. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This is the first report about the isolation of alkaliphilic micro-organisms from nejayote and the first report of phenolic acid esterases synthesised by alkaliphiles. The new alkaliphilic micro-organisms have potential application in the treatment and transformation of tortilla industry residues.

MGEA5-14 polymorphism and type 2 diabetes in Mexico City.

A family-based study has recently reported that a variant located in intron 10 of the gene MGEA5 increases susceptibility to Type 2 Diabetes (T2D). We evaluated the distribution of this SNP in a sample of T2D patients (N = 271) and controls (N = 244) from Mexico City. The frequency of the T allele was higher in the cases (2.6%) than in the controls (1.8%). After adjusting for age, sex, BMI, education, and individual ancestry the odds ratio was 1.60 but the 95% confidence interval was wide and overlapped 1 (0.52-4.86, P-value : 0.404). In order to characterize the distribution of the MGEA5-14 polymorphism in the relevant parental populations, we genotyped this variant in European (and European Americans), West African, and Native American samples. The T-allele was present at a frequency of 2.3% in Spain, 4.2% in European Americans, and 13% in Western Africans, but was absent in two Native American samples from Mexico and Peru. Given the low frequency of the T-allele, further studies using large sample sizes will be required to confirm the role of this variant in T2D.

Association of TCF7L2 polymorphisms with type 2 diabetes in Mexico City.

Polymorphisms within the transcription factor 7-like 2 gene (TCF7L2) have been associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in several recent studies. We characterized three of these polymorphisms (rs12255372, rs7903146 and the microsatellite DG10S478) in an admixed sample of 286 patients with T2D and 275 controls from Mexico City. We also analyzed three samples representative of the relevant parental populations: Native Americans from the state of Guerrero (Mexico), Spanish from Valencia and Nigerians (Bini from the Edo region). In order to minimize potential confounding because of the presence of population stratification in the sample, we evaluated the association of the three TCF7L2 polymorphisms with T2D by using the program admixmap to fit a logistic regression model incorporating individual ancestry, sex, age, body mass index and education. The markers rs12255372, rs7903146 and DG10S478 are in tight disequilibrium in the Mexican sample. We observed a significant association between the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs12255372 and the microsatellite DG10S478 with T2D in the Mexican sample [rs12255372, odds ratio (OR) = 1.78, p = 0.017; DG10S478, OR = 1.62, p = 0.041]. The SNP rs7903146 shows similar trends, but its association with T2D is not as strong (OR = 1.39, p = 0.152). Analysis of the parental samples, as well as other available data, indicates that there are substantial population frequency differences for these polymorphisms: The frequencies of the T2D risk factors are more than 20% higher in European and West African populations than in East Asian and Native American populations.

El tratamiento de cólico en el lactante / The cramp treatment in the infant

El cólico infantil es común, se afirma que entre 12 a 30 porciento de los lactantes de menos de 3 meses son afectados. La incidencia, según un estudio prospectivo de Paradise, no se relaciona con el nivel socio-económico de la familia, la edad materna, el órden de nacimiento, el sexo, la ganancia de peso, el tipo de alimentación ni la historia familiar de desórdenes alérgicos o gastrointestinales. La inteligencia materna superior y su mayor grado de educación sí parecerían asociarse con una incidencia mayor que el promedio, pero si se interpretan como un posible mejor reporte a mejor tolerancia, ya que no se asocian a factores emocionales estimados clínicamente o medidos por test psicológicos

Determinación de marcadores serológicos del Virus de la Hepatitis B en áreas de alto riesgo del Hospital Central Fuerzas Aéreas del Perú / Serological markers determination for Virus B Hepatitis in high risk areas of the Hospital Central Fuerzas Aéreas del Perú

En el presente trabajo se estudiaron los marcadores serológicos del virus de la Hepatitis B en 123 personas del Hospital Central de la Fuerzas Aéreas del Perú que trabajaban en áreas de alto riesgo para adquirir contacto con este virus. La determinación se realizó con el método de Enzimoinmunoensayo (EIA Abbott) y los resultados obtenidos fueron los siguientes: En 15 sujetos (12.1%) se encontró por lo menos un marcador positivo, evidencia de haber tenido contacto con el virus en algún momento de su vida. Sólo se encontró un sujeto portador (0.8%); se halló presencia de Anti-HBc como marcador único en 6 (4.8%) y en 8 (6.5%) se observó presencia de Anti-HBc y Anti-HBs que demostraba inmunidad post-infección. La mayor parte de los individuos en que se encontraron marcadores fueron del sexo masculino: 13 (16.0%) contra sólo 2 (4.7%) del sexo femenino. No hubo mayor diferencia en cuanto a la prevalencia de marcadores según los años de servicio como se han observado en otras series más numerosas. En conclusión, en el grupo estudiado no se observó mayor incidencia de infección por el VHB que en la población general, lo cual nos indica el poco contacto que han tenido con material contaminante durante su vida profesional

Famotidina en el tratamiento de la úlcera péptica gástrica / Famotidine in the treatment of gastric peptic ulcer

En el presente estudio multicéntrico abierto, se evaluó la eficacia del antagonista H2 FAMOTIDINA MSD en promover la cicatrización de la úlcera péptica gástrica, así como su tolerancia y seguridad. Veintiocho pacientes con úlcera péptica gástrica, demostrada por endoscopía e histología, recibieron famotidina 40 mg (una tableta) noche, hasta por ocho semanas. El tratamiento se suspendió a la cuarta semana en caso de evidenciarse cicatrización. Todos los pacientes fueron evaluables para eficacia y seguridad. Se consiguió cicatrización de la úlcera en veintidos de ellos (78.6%), requiriéndose sólo cuatro semanas de tratamiento en quince (53.6%). El 25% de los pacientes se tornó asintomático a las 72 horas y el 60% al finalizar la primera semana. La droga fue bien tolerada y no se registraron reacciones adversas clínicas, ni de laboratorio. Los resultados del presente estudio utilizando famotidina 40 mg. noche, muestran que esta es una terapia eficaz, bien tolerada y segura en la mayoría de pacientes con úlcera péptica gástrica