Sociodemographic factors associated with the success or failure of anti-tuberculosis treatment in the Chiapas Highlands, Mexico, 2019-2022.

Objective: To estimate the incidence rate of tuberculosis (TB) in the Highlands (Tsotsil-Tseltal) region of Chiapas and to analyze sociodemographic factors that might influence the success of anti-TB treatment from the period of January 2019 to June 2022.

Methods: Retrospective study in which the TB databases of the National Epidemiological Surveillance System (SINAVE) were analyzed. TB incidence rates were calculated based on the number of registered TB cases and estimated annual populations.

Conceptual and methodological aspects in the study of hospitalizations for ambulatory care sensitive conditions.

Hospitalization rates for Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions have been used to assess effectiveness of the first level of health care. From a critical analysis of related concepts, we discuss principles for selecting a list of codes and, taking the example of the Brazilian Family Health Program, propose a methodological pathway for identifying variables in order to inform statistical models of analysis. We argue that for the indicator to be comparable between regions, disease codes should be selected based on sensitivity and specificity principles, not on observed disease frequency.

Pulmonary tuberculosis infection among workers in the informal public transport sector in Lima, Peru.

Background: Because a strong association was observed between pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) and the use of public transport, increasing with duration of journey, a study was carried out to assess infection by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and working conditions among workers in this sector.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between June and September 2008. A total of 104 workers from two public transport minibus ('combi') cooperatives covering marginal areas of the Ate-Vitarte district in Lima were interviewed.

Risk of tuberculosis in public transport sector workers, Lima, Peru.

Setting: Delays from symptom onset to the diagnosis and treatment of smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) produces possible new cases in persons in close contact with TB cases, especially in confined spaces such as overcrowded public transport, which puts other users and transport workers at risk.

Objective: To estimate TB incidence rates in patients of a health micro-network, and the percentage of transport sector workers among TB and multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) patients.

Design: Crude and indirect standardised incidence rates of TB were calculated from an exhaustive analysis of all clinical histories of incident patients in a health micro-network between 1 January 2007 and 30 June 2008.

Multidrug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis in Los Altos, Selva and Norte regions, Chiapas, Mexico.

Objectives: To analyse the proportion of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in cultures performed during the period 2000-2002 in Los Altos, Selva and Norte regions, Chiapas, Mexico, and to analyse MDR-TB in terms of clinical and sociodemographic indicators.

Methods: Cross-sectional study of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) from the above regions. Drug susceptibility testing results from two research projects were analysed, as were those of routine sputum samples sent in by health personnel for processing (n = 114).

The GnRH analogue triptorelin confers ovarian radio-protection to adult female rats.

There is a controversy regarding the effects of the analogues of the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in radiotherapy. This has led us to study the possible radio-protection of the ovarian function of a GnRH agonist analogue (GnRHa), triptorelin, in adult, female rats (Rattus norvegicus sp.).

Family Health Program and ambulatory care-sensitive conditions in Southern Brazil.

Objective: Ambulatory care-sensitive conditions (ACSC) are health problems managed by actions at the first level of care. The need for hospitalization by these causes is avoidable through an effective and proper primary health care. The objective of the study was to estimate ACSC among patients hospitalized by the Sistema Unico de Saúde (Brazilian Health System).

Rationale for antioxidant supplementation in hemodialysis patients.

Oxidative stress, which results from an imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and antioxidant defense mechanisms, is now a well recognized pathogenic process in hemodialysis (HD) patients that could be involved in dialysis-related pathologies such as accelerated atherosclerosis, amyloidosis and anemia. This review is aimed at evaluating the rationale for preventive intervention against oxidative damage during HD as well as the putative causal factors implicated in this imbalance. The antioxidant system is severely impaired in uremic patients and impairment increases with the degree of renal failure.

Comparative survey of the ectoparasite fauna of wild and farm-reared red-legged partridges ( Alectoris rufa), with an ecological study in wild populations.

We compared the ectoparasite fauna of 89 wild red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa) from four hunting estates and 25 farm-reared partridges from three farms. We found 62% of the wild but only 20% of the farmed partridges harboured ectoparasites. On the wild partridges, one hippoboscid fly species (Ornithophila metallica, 2%), two tick species (Ixodes frontalis, 2%; Hyalomma sp.

[Oxidative stress, hemo-incompatibility and complications of long-term dialysis].

Oxidative stress which results from an imbalance between oxidant production and antioxidant defense mechanisms is now a well recognized pathogenesis factor that could be implicated in the hemodialysis (HD)-related pathology. This review focuses on: 1) factors that may be responsible for oxidative stress in HD patients (hemoincompatibility of the dialysis system--hemoreactivity of the membrane and trace amounts of endotoxins- and uremia per se); 2) implication of such phenomenon in long term complications including anemia, amyloidosis, accelerated atherosclerosis and malnutrition and finally and 3) prevention ways consisting in improving the hemocompatibility of the dialysis system and supplementing the deficiency patients with antioxidants.

Pulmonary tuberculosis and associated factors in areas of high levels of poverty in Chiapas, Mexico.

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) and factors associated with PTB in areas of high levels of poverty in Chiapas, Mexico.

Methods: In 1998 active case-finding was carried out among those aged over 14 years who had a cough of > or =15 days duration, in a convenience sample of 1894 households in 32 communities selected at random based on the level of poverty and on the level of access to health services, measured by travelling time (<1 hour, > or =1 hour) from the community to the nearest health care unit. Of the 277 identified with a productive cough, we obtained sputum samples from 228 for the purposes of detecting PTB through acid-fast smears and cultures.

[Pulmonary tuberculosis and use of health services in zones of high socioeconomic marginalization in Chiapas, Mexico].

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis and to analyze the utilization of health services, in coughers seeking care at primary care centers, within areas of "severe" and "very severe" poverty, in the Border Region of Chiapas, Mexico.

Materials And Methods: In 1997 an active case finding of patients with cough was carried out among all patients aged over 14 years seeking consultation (n = 2.203) in a random sample of seven primary care centers; 573 coughers were found.

Oxidative stress in chronic renal failure.

This study focuses on the oxidative stress in patients with severe chronic renal failure who are not undergoing dialysis treatment. The erythocyte levels, creatinine clearing and plasma- and cell activities of the following enzymes were determined: glutathione peroxidase (Gpx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR), and glutathione transferase (GT). The concentrations of non-enzyme molecules such as total glutathione in both oxidized and reduced forms, and malonyldialdehyde (MDA) were also measured.

[Delivery care in Chiapas, Mexico: who and where does provide it?].

Objective: To identify the place and provider of delivery care; to analyse the relationship between the type of delivery care provider and prenatal care and sociodemographic factors; to identify groups with greater and lesser probability of receiving attention at health centers and to identify the reasons for not attending the health center nearest to the household.

Material And Methods: Data on the delivery care of 297 women of La Fraylesca Region, Chiapas, were gathered using multivariate logit models to identify groups.

Results: From the total, 32% of childbirths occurred at health centers and 60% at home (mostly with poor sanitary conditions).

[Social welfare and health services in the Fraylesca Region in Chiapas: the use of prenatal care services].

Objective: To analyze the use of antenatal care services (ACS) in the Fraylesca Region of Chiapas, Mexico, and to identify groups with lower probability of receiving ACS.

Material And Methods: In 1994, a health survey was performed on a random sample of 1,100 households, which compiled sociodemographic information and on the use of ACS during the last pregnancy within the two years previous to the study (n = 297 women from 15 to 49 years of age). The groups with lower probability of receiving adequate ACS (5 or more visits) were identified with a log-linear model.

Oxidative stress and enzyme activity in ambulatory renal patients undergoing continuous peritoneal dialysis.

Some parameters indicating the possibility of oxidative stress in chronic renal failure patients (CRF) undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), are presented in this study. Oxidative stress appears to be lower than in hemodialysis patients. In a group of CRF patients and in a control group malondialdehyde (MDA) was determined as an indicator of red-blood-cell membrane lipid peroxidation.

Assay for erythrocyte superoxide dismutase activity in patients with lung cancer and effects on pollution and smoke trace elements.

The antioxidative effect of CuZnSOD, which catalyzes the dismutation of superoxide anion (O2-), provides a defense against the oxygen toxicity. The object of the study is to evaluate the erythrocytes superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in two groups of persons (Group I, healthy blood donors; Group II, lung cancer patients), using the spectrophotometric assay of NADH oxidation and the indirect method. The effect of trace elements, such as Al3-, Cr3+, Fe3+, Hg2+, NI2+, and Pb2+ (producing free radicals oxygen and present in pollution and smoke) is also evaluated.

Induction and characterization of metallothionein in different organs of Ostrea edulis L.

In this study, the induction of metallothionein (MT) in one species of oyster Ostrea edulis exposed to copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) was examined. The quantity of total protein (mg protein/mg dry wt) in each sample and the measurement of MT were determined by the Lowry and silver (Ag)-saturation methods. Our results show that the gonads are the organs producing the greatest quantity of MT in the controls and in the groups induced by Cu and Zn, followed by the mantle, gut, and by muscle and plasma.

Erythrocyte catalase activity in chronic renal failure patients and donors in the presence of metal ions.

The effect of hemodialysis on erythrocyte catalase (CAT) activity was studied in chronic renal failure (CRF) patients. This enzyme was analyzed in vitro, and its activity throughout the incubation period was found to be 34% lower than in healthy donors. The influence of Al3+, Cu2+, and Ni2+ on CAT activity in donor's blood (in vitro) is also studied, for short incubation periods at trace levels of 2.

Isolation and characterization of chicken muscle ferritin.

Two ferritins (fast and slow) have been found to exist in the chicken muscle. Ferritin was isolated from the muscle by means of a method based on pH changes and saline fractioning, followed by purification in Ultrogel AcA-3A and ultracentrifugation at 100,000 g. Identification of the two ferritins shown in the chromatogram was carried out by electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel, the typical Prussian Blue band with ferrocyamide appearing in both cases.