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Molecular techniques are an alternative for the diagnosis of strongyloidiasis, produced by Strongyloides stercoralis. However, it is necessary to determine the best amplification target for the populations of this parasite present in a geographical area and standardize a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocol for its detection. The objectives of this work were the comparison of different PCR targets for molecular detection of S. stercoralis and the standardization of a PCR protocol for the selected target with the best diagnostic results. DNA extraction was performed from parasite larvae by saline precipitation. Three amplification targets of the genes encoding ribosomal RNA 18S (18S rDNA) and 5.8S (5.8S rDNA) and cytochrome oxidase 1 (COX1) of S. stercoralis were compared, and the PCR reaction conditions for the best target were standardized (concentration of reagents and template DNA, hybridization temperature, and number of cycles). The analytical sensitivity and specificity of the technique were determined. DNA extraction by saline precipitation made it possible to obtain DNA of high purity and integrity. The ideal target was the 5.8S rDNA, since the 18S rDNA yielded non-reproducible results and COX1 never amplified under any condition tested. The optimal conditions for the 5.8S rDNA-PCR were: 1.5 mM MgCl2, 100 µM dNTPs, 0.4 µM primers, and 0.75 U DNA polymerase, using 35 cycles and a hybridization temperature of 60 °C. The analytical sensitivity of the PCR was 1 attogram of DNA, and the specificity was 100%. Consequently, the 5.8S rDNA was shown to be highly sensitive and specific for the detection of S. stercoralis DNA.

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La estadística es uno de los pilares de la ciencia, especialmente para describir y analizar los datos, la que ha progresado exponencialmente en los últimos años. Se le debe entender como un apoyo fundamental para la toma de decisiones en las distintas disciplinas. Los análisis exploratorios son descritos como el primer paso en la estadística, buscando organizar, representar y describir los datos, pero muchas veces este proceso se vuelve complejo, siendo importante realizar una revisión exhaustiva de la matriz de datos. Es objetivo de este manuscrito describir una propuesta metodológica para la validación de bases de datos aplicada a las ciencias de la salud. Esta metodología consta de seis etapas: cuatro de ellas obligatorias y sucesivas, y las otras dos opcionales. En la literatura médica, estos procedimientos general-mente son pasados por alto; buscamos, en consecuencia, recalcar la importancia de este proceso como previo a los análisis exploratorios.

Statistics is one of the pillars of science, especially to describe and analyze data, it has progressed exponentially in recent years. Being the fundamental support for decision-making in different disciplines. Exploratory analyzes are described as the first step in statistics, seeking to organize, represent and describe the data, but many times this process becomes complex, and it is important to carry out an exhaustive review of the data matrix. The aim of this manuscript was to describe a methodological proposal for databases validation applied to health sciences. This methodology consists of 6 stages, 4 of them compulsory and successive, and the other two, optional. In the literature these procedures are generally overlooked, our purpose is thus to emphasize the importance of this process prior to exploratory analyzes.

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INTRODUCCIÓN Y OBJETIVOS: La deficiencia de vitamina D es muy prevalente durante la gestación, siendo cada vez más numerosos los estudios que relacionan esta condición con peores resultados perinatales. El objetivo del presente trabajo es describir los resultados perinatales y el curso del embarazo de una cohorte de gestantes deficitarias en vitamina D durante el primer trimestre del embarazo, suplementándolas con colecalciferol, así como establecer una comparación entre los resultados perinatales de aquellas pacientes con déficit o insuficiencia que lograron niveles normales de vitamina D en el tercer trimestre frente a aquellas que no lo lograron. Como objetivo secundario se describe el curso del embarazo de una cohorte de pacientes que durante el mismo periodo de tiempo del estudio presentaban normovitaminosis al inicio de la gestación. MÉTODOS: La cohorte de 190 pacientes analizada procede de casos consecutivos en la primera consulta de embarazo. Se determinaron los niveles de 25-hidroxivitamina D (25-OH-D) en la analítica del primer trimestre de 190 gestantes diferenciando entre valores normales (>30ng/mL), insuficiencia (30-15 ng/mL) y deficiencia (<15 ng/mL). Las pacientes con insuficiencia se suplementaron con 1000 UI/día de colecalciferol y las pacientes con deficiencia con 2000 UI/día. En el tercer trimestre se determinaron de nuevo los niveles de 25-OH-D en las pacientes suplementadas, suspendiendo la prescripción en caso de haberse normalizado los valores. Se comparan estadísticamente los resultados perinatales entre aquellas pacientes que mejoraron con la suplementación frente a aquellas que no lo hicieron. RESULTADOS: De las 190 pacientes analizadas, un 45% presentaban insuficiencia; un 27,5% deficiencia; y un 27,5% valores normales. De forma global, un 61% de las pacientes suplementadas habían normalizado sus niveles de vitamina D en la analítica del tercer trimestre, suspendiéndose la prescripción. De ese 61% normalizado, un 63% pertenecían al grupo de insuficiencia y un 37% al de deficiencia. Dentro del grupo suplementado con colecalciferol, un 1,4% de las pacientes desarrollaron hipertensión arterial, mientras que un 33% desarrollaron diabetes en el embarazo, de las cuales un 87% la controlaron exclusivamente con dieta y un 13% precisaron insulina. Un 3,6% de las gestaciones cursaron con retraso del crecimiento y la tasa de prematuridad fue igualmente del 3,6%. La tasa de cesáreas fue del 23%, de las cuales un 77% fueron indicadas intraparto y un 23% cesáreas programadas. El peso medio al nacimiento fue 3205g. Dentro del grupo con valores normales de 25-OH-D en el primer trimestre de la gestación, ninguna paciente desarrolló hipertensión arterial, mientras que un 15% presentaron diabetes gestacional controlada con dieta. Un 3,8% de dichas gestaciones cursaron con retrasos del crecimiento y la tasa de prematuridad fue del 1,9%. La tasa de cesáreas fue del 23%, de las cuales un 50% fueron indicadas intraparto y el 50% restante programadas. El peso medio al nacimiento fue de 3280g. En el análisis comparativo de los resultados perinatales entre el grupo de pacientes suplementadas que normalizaron sus cifras de vitamina D y aquellas que no lo hicieron, no se hallan diferencias estadísticamente significativas para ninguno de los parámetros analizados. CONCLUSIONES: La elevada tasa de hipovitaminosis D en la muestra analizada apoya la extensión del cribado y suplementación a todas las embarazadas y no solamente a aquellas con factores de riesgo. Dado que no se observaron diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre los niveles de vitamina D en el tercer trimestre y las variables perinatales estudiadas, podemos concluir que en nuestro estudio la suplementación con vitamina D no se ha comportado como factor protector de eventos obstétricos adversos.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent during pregnancy, with an increasing number of studies linking this condition with worse perinatal outcomes. The objective of this present work is to describe the perinatal results and the course of pregnancy in a cohort of pregnant women deficient in vitamin D during the first trimester of pregnancy, supplementing them with cholecalciferol, as well as to establish a comparison between perinatal results of those patients with deficiencnieve or insufficiency who achieved normal levels of vitamin D in the third trimester compared to those who did not. As a secondary objective, the course of pregnancy is described in a cohort of patients who presented normal levels at the beginning of gestation during the same period of time of the study. METHODS: The cohort of 190 patients analyzed comes from consecutive cases in the first pregnancy visit. The levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH-D) were determined in the analysis of the first trimester of 190 pregnant women, differentiating between normal values (> 30ng / mL), insufficiency (30-15 ng / mL) and deficiency (<15 ng / mL). Patients with insufficiency were supplemented with 1000 IU/day of cholecalciferol and patients with deficiency with 2000 IU/day. In the third trimester, the 25-OH-D levels were determined again in the supplemented patients, suspending the prescription if the values had normalized. Perinatal outcomes are statistically compared between those patients who improved with supplementation versus those who did not. RESULTS: Of the 190 patients analyzed, 45% had insufficiency; 27.5% deficiency; and 27.5% normal values. Overall, 61% of the supplemented patients had normalized their vitamin D levels in the third trimester analysis, suspending the prescription. Within that 61% normalized, 63% belonged to the insufficiency group and 37% to the deficiency group. In the group supplemented with cholecalciferol, 1.4% of the patients developed arterial hypertension, while 33% developed diabetes in pregnancy, of which 87% controlled it exclusively with diet and 13% required insulin. 3.6% of pregnancies had intrauterine growth restriction and the prematurity rate was also 3.6%. The caesarean section rate was 23%, of which 77% were indicated intrapartum and 23% scheduled caesarean sections. The mean weight at birth was 3205g. Within the group with normal 25-OH-D values in the first trimester of pregnancy, no patient developed hypertension, while 15% had diet-controlled gestational diabetes. 3.8% of these pregnancies had intrauterine growth restriction and the prematurity rate was 1.9%. The cesarean section rate was 23%, of which 50% were indicated intrapartum and the remaining 50% scheduled. The mean weight at birth was 3280g. In the comparative analysis of the perinatal results between the group of supplemented patients who normalized their vitamin D levels and those who did not, no statistically significant differences were found for any of the parameters analyzed. CONCLUSIONS: The high rate of hypovitaminosis D in the analyzed sample supports the extension of screening and supplementation to all pregnant women and not only to those with risk factors. Since no statistically significant differences were observed between vitamin D levels in the third trimester and the perinatal outcomes studied, we can conclude that in our study vitamin D supplementation has not behaved as a protective factor against adverse obstetric events.

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Invasive social bees can alter plant-pollinator interactions with detrimental effects on both partners. However, most studies have focused on one invasive bee species, while the interactions among two or more species remain poorly understood. Also, many study sites had a history of invasive bees, being hard to find sites with historical low abundances. In Patagonia, Bombus ruderatus (F.) invasion begun in 1993 and B. terrestris (L.) in 2006. Though honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) introduction started in 1859, their density is still low in some parts. By experimentally increasing honey bee densities, we evaluated the effect of honey bees and bumblebees floral visitation on native pollinator floral visitation, pollen deposition, and reproductive success of three plant species in mixed Nothofagus antarctica forests of northern Patagonia: Oxalis valdiviensis, Mutisia spinosa and Cirsium vulgare. Our results show that exotic bees became the main floral visitors. No negative association was found between invasive bee and native pollinator visitation rates, but there was evidence of potential competition between honey bees and bumblebees. Floral neighborhood diversity played an important role in pollinator behavior. Conspecific pollen deposition was high for all species, while deposition of heterospecific pollen was very high in M. spinosa and C. vulgare. Not as expected, honey bees visitation rate had a negative effect on heterospecific pollen deposition in C. vulgare. For O. valdiviensis, exotic visitation rates increased conspecific pollen deposition, which was positively related to reproductive success. Although exotic bees became main floral visitors, their contribution to reproductive success was only clear for one species.

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BACKGROUND: Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a heterogeneous group of primary antibody deficiencies defined by marked reductions in serum IgG, IgA and/or IgM levels and recurrent bacterial infections. Some patients are associated with defects in T cells and regulatory T cells (Tregs), resulting in recurrent viral infections and early-onset autoimmune disease. METHODS: We analyzed whether there is an association between Tregs cells (CD4+CD25+CD127low and CD4+CD25+FoxP3+); memory T cells (CD4+CD45RO+); memory B cells (CD19+CD27-IgD-); and CD21low B cells (CD19+CD38lowCD21low); as well as autoimmune manifestations in 36 patients with CVID (25 women and 11 men, mean age 24 years), all by flow cytometry. RESULTS: Fourteen patients presented with autoimmune diseases (AI) (39%), including 11 with autoimmune thrombocytopenia (ITP) (31%); two with vitiligo (6%); one with systemic lupus erythematosus (LES) (3%); and one with multiple sclerosis (MS) (3%). CVID patients with AI had a reduced proportion of Tregs (both CD4+CD25+CD127low and FoxP3+ cells) compared with healthy controls. CVID patients with AI had expanded CD21low B cell populations compared with patients who did not have AI. A correlation between increased CD4+CD45RO T cell populations and reduced Tregs was also observed. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that 39% of patients with CVID had AI and reduced Tregs populations. Research in this area might provide noteworthy data to better understand immune dysfunction and dysregulation related to CVID.

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OBJECTIVE: To evaluate empathy in medical students of the Evangelical University, Republic of El Salvador. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in which empathy levels, as well as the reliability of the data, were measured in 640 students. The mean and standard deviation were estimated in two factors: gender and courses studied. The data were processed using bi-factorial variance analysis (modeliii), calculating the effect size, power of the test, and the possible growth potential of the empathy and of each of its components considering the gender. The level of significance was α≤.05 and ß≥0.80. The SPSS 22.0 statistics program was used. RESULTS: Differences were found between courses and gender. The differences between courses in empathy are due to values by males in specific components. The model of decline in empathy and in the component, compassionate care, is not fulfilled. CONCLUSIONS: The levels of empathy between the genders were higher in males than in females, and similar in the compassionate care component. This is not consistent with the idea that women have higher levels of empathy than the men. There are differences in the behaviour of the means depending on the course and gender, and the empathy decline model is fulfilled only in two of its components. The characteristics indicated constitute the diagnosis of the empathy situation and constitute a guide to construct an intervention.

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KEY POINTS: Light at night is essential to a 24/7 society, but it has negative consequences on health. Basically, light at night induces an alteration of our biological clocks, known as chronodisruption, with effects even when this occurs during pregnancy. Here we explored the developmental impact of gestational chronodisruption (chronic photoperiod shift, CPS) on adult and fetal adrenal biorhythms and function. We found that gestational chronodisruption altered fetal and adult adrenal function, at the molecular, morphological and physiological levels. The differences between control and CPS offspring suggest desynchronization of the adrenal circadian clock and steroidogenic pathway, leading to abnormal stress responses and metabolic adaptation, potentially increasing the risk of developing chronic diseases. ABSTRACT: Light at night is essential to a 24/7 society, but it has negative consequences on health. Basically, light at night induces an alteration of our biological clocks, known as chronodisruption, with effects even when this occurs during pregnancy. Indeed, an abnormal photoperiod during gestation alters fetal development, inducing long-term effects on the offspring. Accordingly, we carried out a longitudinal study in rats, exploring the impact of gestational chronodisruption on the adrenal biorhythms and function of the offspring. Adult rats (90 days old) gestated under chronic photoperiod shift (CPS) decrease the time spent in the open arm zone of an elevated plus maze to 62% and increase the rearing time to 170%. CPS adults maintained individual daily changes in corticosterone, but their acrophases were distributed from 12.00 h to 06.00 h. CPS offspring maintained clock gene expression and oscillation, nevertheless no daily rhythm was observed in genes involved in the regulation and synthesis of steroids. Consistent with adult adrenal gland being programmed during fetal life, blunted daily rhythms of corticosterone, core clock gene machinery, and steroidogenic genes were observed in CPS fetal adrenal glands. Comparisons of the global transcriptome of CPS versus control fetal adrenal gland revealed that 1078 genes were differentially expressed (641 down-regulated and 437 up-regulated). In silico analysis revealed significant changes in Lipid Metabolism, Small Molecule Biochemistry, Cellular Development and the Inflammatory Response pathway (z score: 48-20). Altogether, the present results demonstrate that gestational chronodisruption changed fetal and adult adrenal function. This could translate to long-term abnormal stress responses and metabolic adaptation, increasing the risk of developing chronic diseases.

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Resumen: ANTECEDENTES: la enfermedad tromboembólica venosa es una complicación que puede manifestarse durante o después de la hospitalización. Existen pocos antecedentes en nuestro país que evalúan el comportamiento médico en este tema. OBJETIVO: conocer la prescripción relacionada con el tipo, duración y posibles causas de la omisión de tromboprofilaxis en pacientes hospitalizados. MATERIAL Y MÉTODO: estudio descriptivo, transversal y no probabilístico en el que de septiembre a noviembre de 2016 se evaluaron médicos de Medicina Interna, Cirugía General, Terapia Intensiva y Urgencias. Se recolectaron datos por cuestionario y presentación de resultados a través de estadística descriptiva. También se evaluó la duración de la prescripción y la dosis administrada. RESULTADOS: se encuestaron 556 médicos adscritos, 14 jefes de servicio y 234 residentes total: 804 de siete hospitales de la Ciudad de México pertenecientes al sistema de salud. El 30% refirió que su hospital cuenta con un programa de tromboprofilaxis; 97.7% la considera segura y 1.2%, riesgosa. El 96% respondió que prescribe tromboprofilaxis en sus pacientes; 592 74% utilizan alguna escala de previsión clínica de enfermedad tromboembólica venosa. El 71% recomienda heparina de bajo peso molecular para tromboprofilaxis y 0.74% administra anticoagulantes orales de nueva generación. CONCLUSIONES: la enfermedad tromboembólica venosa es potencialmente prevenible; sin embargo, la prescripción muestra oportunidades de mejoría en aspectos de farmacología.

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Venous thromboembolic disease VTE is a complication that may occur during or after hospitalization. There are few antecedents in our country that evaluate the medical behavior in this subject. OBJECTIVE: To know the prescription related to type, duration and possible causes for omission of thromboprophylaxis in hospitalized patients. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A descriptive, transversal and non-probabilistic study was done, in which from September to November 2016 physicians of Internal Medicine, General Surgery, Intensive Care and Urgency were evaluated through a data collection by questionnaire and presentation of results through descriptive statistics. We also evaluated duration of prescription and dose administered. RESULTS: A total of 556 seconded physicians, 14 service heads, and 234 residents 804 in total were surveyed in seven hospitals in Mexico City belonging to the health system. Thirty percent reported that their hospital has a thromboprophylaxis program; 97.7% consider it safe and 1.2% risky; 96% responded that they prescribe thromboprophylaxis in their patients; 592 73.6% used some clinical prediction scale for VTE; 71% recommended low molecular weight heparin for thrombo prophylaxis and 0.74% administered new generation oral anticoagulants. CONCLUSIONS: Venous thromboembolic disease is potentially preventable; however, prescription shows opportunities for improvement in aspects of pharmacology.

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X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) is caused by BTK mutations, patients typically show <2% of peripheral B cells and reduced levels of all immunoglobulins; they suffer from recurrent infections of bacterial origin; however, viral infections, autoimmune-like diseases, and an increased risk of developing gastric cancer are also reported. In this work, we report the BTK mutations and clinical features of 12 patients diagnosed with XLA. Furthermore, a clinical revision is also presented for an additional cohort of previously reported patients with XLA. Four novel mutations were identified, one of these located in the previously reported mutation refractory SH3 domain. Clinical data support previous reports accounting for frequent respiratory, gastrointestinal tract infections and other symptoms such as the occurrence of reactive arthritis in 19.2% of the patients. An equal proportion of patients developed septic arthritis; missense mutations and mutations in SH1, SH2 and PH domains predominated in patients who developed arthritis.

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