In Vitro Purging of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-ALL) Cells with the Use of PTL, DMAPT, or PU-H71.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a hematopoietic disorder that mainly affects the child population, and it is characterized by the presence of lymphoid progenitor or precursor cells with different genetic alterations. The origin of this disease is controversial, since some authors assumed that leukemic transformation occurs in a lymphoid progenitor, and there is also evidence that suggests the existence of leukemic initiating cells (LIC). PTL, DMAPT, and PU-H71 are agents that have been shown to eliminate bulk and stem cells from myeloid leukemias, but this effect has not been analyzed in lymphoblastic leukemias.

Cardiometabolic factors and vitamin D deficiency in pediatric patients with chronic kidney disease.

Background: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Up to 80% of patients with CKD may exhibit inadequate vitamin D (VD) levels, which have been linked to the presence of cardiometabolic factors (CFs) in the adult population. However, research on this association in the pediatric population is limited.

Factors associated with vitamin D deficiency in health care workers exposed to SARS-CoV-2: a cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Globally, up to 76.6% of the population may be affected by vitamin D (VD) deficiency, which has been linked to increased morbidity and mortality from COVID-19. This underscores the importance of further research into VD supplementation, particularly for health care workers, who are at higher risk due to indoor work environments and dietary challenges associated with shift schedules.

[Comparison of serum uric acid and liver enzyme levels in adolescents with obesity and with metabolic syndrome].

Introduction: a relationship has been observed between elevated levels of liver enzymes and uric acid with the presence of metabolic syndrome (MS) in the pediatric population. Objective: to compare serum liver enzyme and uric acid levels between adolescents with and without MS. Methods: a cross-sectional study was carried out in adolescents with obesity between 10 and 18 years old.

Global Prevalence and Severity of Retinopathy of Prematurity over the Last Four Decades (1985-2021): A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a vasoproliferative disease of the retina that occurs in premature infants. The prevalence of ROP reported so far is inconsistent.

Aim: To conduct a systematic review to describe the trend of ROP prevalence between 1985 and 2021, and to determine the influence of countries' economic conditions on ROP prevalence.

Vitamin D levels in the pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic periods in pediatric patients with chronic kidney disease.

Introduction: Vitamin D (VD) deficiency is common in children with chronic kidney disease (CKD) because of multiple factors. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, it increased because of medicine shortage and no enough medical service for patients with non-COVID-19 diseases.

Objective: To analyze the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic-related lockdown on the serum levels and status of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25-[OH]D) in children with CKD.

[Aswer to "Comment on article "Bibliometric analysis of scientific publications on COVID-19 elaborated by staff of the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social""].

We thank the group headed by Jorge Valencia Alonso for taking the time to review in detail and prepare the letter about our article entitled: " Bibliometric analysis of scientific publications on COVID-19 elaborated by staff of the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social", which has recently been published in the Medical Journal of the Mexican Social Security Institute. Based on your observations and comments, we allow ourselves to make the following clarifications following the same sequence of your letter to the Editor.

Characteristics and outcomes of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children: A multicenter, retrospective, observational cohort study in Mexico.

Introduction: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (MIS-C), a novel hyperinflammatory condition secondary to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, is associated with severe outcomes such as coronary artery aneurysm and death.

Methods: This multicenter, retrospective, observational cohort study including eight centers in Mexico, aimed to describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with MIS-C. Patient data were evaluated using latent class analysis (LCA) to categorize patients into three phenotypes: toxic shock syndrome-like (TSSL)-MIS-C, Kawasaki disease-like (KDL)-MIS-C, and nonspecific MIS-C (NS-MIS-C).

[Correlation of uric acid with carotid intima media thickness in obese adolescents].

Introduction: obesity in the pediatric population is a public health problem. The correlation of uric acid and carotid intima media thickness in adults has been demonstrated. Objective: to identify the correlation of uric acid and carotid intima media thickness in adolescents with obesity.

Leptin/adiponectin ratio as a prognostic factor for increased weight gain in girls with central precocious puberty.

Objective: To determine if the leptin, adiponectin, and leptin/adiponectin ratio (LAR) can predict weight gain at the end of GnRH analogs (GnRHa) treatment in girls with central precocious puberty (CPP).

Material And Methods: Study design: prospective cohort. Serum levels of leptin and adiponectin were determined at diagnosis of CPP.

Adipokines as predictive factor of cardiac function in pediatric patients with chronic kidney disease.

Background: Adipokines are associated with cardiovascular disease; in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients adipokines could be useful prognostic factors.

Objectives: To explore whether leptin and adiponectin in kidney replacement therapy (KRT) children could have a role on their cardiac function, in the long-term.

Design: Prospective cohort study was performed with pediatric KRT patients, aged 8 to 17 years who were undergoing hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis.

[Bibliometric analysis of scientific publications on COVID-19 elaborated by staff of the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social].

Background: Since the beginning of the pandemic, new knowledge about COVID-19 obtained by research has been disseminated in medical and scientific journals, but the large number of publications that have been generated in such a short time has been impressive.

Objective: To perform a bibliometric analysis of the published articles in medical-scientific journals carried-out by the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) personnel on COVID-19.

Material And Methods: Systematic review of the literature, identifying the publications included in the PubMed and EMBASE databases, up to September 2022.

The leptin/adiponectin ratio as prognostic marker for dyslipidemia during 1 year of follow-up in pediatric patients receiving kidney replacement therapy.

Background: leptin and adiponectin are associated with cardiovascular disease in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients and could be useful prognostic factors. Objectives. to explore the usefulness of the leptin/adiponectin ratio (LAR) to predict the presence or worsening of dyslipidemia during 1 year of follow-up in children receiving kidney replacement therapy (KRT).

COVID-19 in Neonates with Positive RT-PCR Test. Systematic Review.

Background: COVID-19 is an infectious disease of variable severity caused by a new coronavirus. Clinical presentation ranges from asymptomatic cases to severe illness. Most cases in newborns appear to be asymptomatic or mild.

[Usefulness of a nutritional strategy on dyslipidemia in pediatric patients with terminal chronic kidney disease].

Background and objective: in chronic kidney disease (CKD) there are several factors that increase the presence of dyslipidemia. The aim of this study was to identify the usefulness of a nutritional intervention, in children with terminal CKD, on dyslipidemia 6 months after intervention start. Materials and methods: a quasi-experiment study (before and after) was performed.

A Multimodal Strategy to Reduce the Risk of Hospitalization/death in Ambulatory Patients with COVID-19.

Background: Different interventions have been implemented worldwide for the house-hold monitoring of patients with mild COVID-19 to reduce the burden of healthcare systems and guarantee quality of care. Telephone follow up and treatment kits have not been evaluated in the context of a national-wide primary care program.

Aim Of The Study: To compare the risk of hospitalization and death for COVID-19 between ambulatory patients who received and those who did not receive a treatment kit and telephone follow-up in a developing country METHODS: A two-group comparative analysis was conducted using data from the medical information systems of the Mexican Institute of Social Security.

25-Hydroxyvitamin D level is associated with mortality in patients with critical COVID-19: a prospective observational study in Mexico City.

Background/objectives: Considering the high number of deaths from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Latin American countries, together with multiple factors that increase the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, we aimed to determine 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels and its association with mortality in patients with critical COVID-19.

Subjects/methods: This was a prospective observational study including adult patients with critical COVID-19. Data, including clinical characteristics and 25(OH)D levels measured at the time of intensive care unit admission, were collected.

[Main biases in clinical research].

In developing a research protocol, authors must consider the possible errors that may occur throughout the study. In clinical research, two types of biases are recognized: random errors and systematic errors; the latter are called biases. To date, dozens of biases have been described, which is why the purpose of this article is to describe the main biases that can occur in clinical research studies, as well as strategies to avoid them or to minimize their effects.

Screening for COVID-19 in Children Undergoing Elective Invasive Procedures.

Objective: To report the frequency of asymptomatic infection with SARS-CoV-2 in pediatric patients undergoing invasive medical procedures in a tertiary pediatric hospital.

Methods: From June to October 2020, a SARS-CoV-2 real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) test was performed for all pediatric patients scheduled to undergo an elective invasive procedure. None of the patients was symptomatic.

[Statistical methods for effect size analysis].

Informing in the studies about the effect size of an intervention or the impact of the factor(s) about an outcome, allows better decision-making for the application of the results in clinical practice. This article presents different methods to analyze the effect size, which can be through direct or indirect statistical methods. Within the direct methods, there's the difference in means between groups and the difference of absolute or relative frequencies.

[Risk, association, and impact measures in clinical research studies. How to interpret them for their application in medical care].

The practice of evidence-based medicine includes the critical analysis of clinical research studies, and, within it, the interpretation of the results reported. In addition, to statistical data, there are estimators that can help clinicians transfer research findings to routine clinical practice. These estimators are measures of risk, association, and impact.

Effect of Cataract Surgery on Frequency of Falls among Older Persons: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Falls are a significant public health problem among older people worldwide. The aim was to perform a new systematic review and meta-analysis to assess whether cataract surgery is effective in reducing the rate of falls in older persons.

Methods: The systematic review was performed following the recommendations by the Cochrane Collaboration.

[Phases to determine the clinical utility of diagnostic tests].

In general, diagnostic tests are the necessary tools to determine the presence or absence of illness, but they can be useful also for excluding other differential conditions, assessing severity, establishing specific treatments, and estimating possible prognosis results. In order to determine how much a new diagnostic test can contribute in the clinical setting, studies with different research designs and populations are required. Since it might be complex to understand the development process of a diagnostic test based on its initial stages, this article synthesizes and gives examples of the four phases that have been proposed to define this process.

[Biases in diagnostic test studies: impact on estimating sensitivity and specificity].

Diagnostic tests make it possible to determine whether a person has a disease or not. Before incorporating a new diagnostic test in the clinical setting, it is necessary to define its validity through its indicators of performance, sensitivity, and specificity. In these studies, like in any research, the results might not be reliable when there are biases during their execution.