Transfusion-associated Chagas disease (American trypanosomiasis) in Mexico: implications for transfusion medicine in the United States.

Background: Trypanosoma cruzi, the protozoan cause of Chagas disease, causes life-long infection and is easily transmitted by blood transfusion. Our goals were to determine the prevalence of Chagas disease among donors in five Mexican blood banks, to look for evidence of transmission of T. cruzi by transfusion, and to evaluate two serologic assays for Chagas disease.

[Feasibility study: concurrent 13-cis-retinoic acid, alfa-2a interferon and radiotherapy in the treatment of 23 patients with advanced cervix uteri epidermoid carcinoma].

The important therapeutic activity of 13-cRA and IFN-alpha-2a in carcinoma of squamous cells, cervical, without previous treatment, is confirmed. An unexpected result was the early toxicity of the biologic agents on the colon mucosa when they are combined with radiotherapy.

Retinoic acid and interferon in human cancer: mechanistic and clinical studies.

Various combinations of retinoids, metabolic and synthetic derivatives of vitamin A, and interferons (IFNs) have demonstrated synergistic antiproliferative, differentiating, and antiangiogenic activity in some human hematologic and solid-tumor systems. This synergistic antitumor activity may be due to enhanced gene expression. In several cell systems, the actions of IFNs are enhanced by differentiation of cells with retinoic acid (RA).

[Treatment of 32 cervico-uterine cancer patients with 13-cis-retinoic acid and interferon alpha].

Background: The use of chemotherapy for cervical squamous cell carcinoma has shown some positive results. Total percentage of complete plus partial responses are near 30% with the use of single cytotoxic agents. Higher percentages are achievable with combined chemotherapy including platinum but the lack of evidence that current chemotherapy can increase survival, coupled with a devastating worldwide mortality, indicates the urgent need for more effective therapies.

Retinoic acid and interferon combination studies in human cancer.

Retinoic acid and interferon-alpha have limited single-agent activity in advanced cancer. Cell culture data indicate that in combination these agents have enhanced activity (modulating growth and differentiation) in a number of malignant cell types. Recent clinical work in advanced squamous cell carcinoma reports major activity with this regimen.

13-cis-retinoic acid plus interferon alpha-2a: highly active systemic therapy for squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix.

Background: Chemotherapeutic study of cervical squamous cell carcinoma has shown some positive results. Complete plus partial (overall) response rates of 15%-35% (complete response rate, less than 5%) were achieved with the use of a small number of cytotoxic single agents in patients with advanced disease. In addition, overall response rates of 60%-70% (complete response rates, 10%-20%) were achieved with cisplatin-based, multiagent regimens in patients with primary, locally advanced disease.

Infections in immunocompromised patients in Mexico.

The primary objective of this report is to provide medical oncologists and infectious disease specialists with pertinent information on the diagnosis and management of various infectious and especially tropical diseases as they affect cancer and other immunocompromised patients in the largest general hospital in Mexico. Limited, but hopefully stimulating, data are presented here that should permit better understanding of the magnitude and geographic peculiarities that these illnesses have in a segment of the population that includes primarily the poorest and the sickest.