Establishment of a Mesoamerican-Caribbean South-South Research Platform: Challenges in the Meriva (Curcuminoids) Gastric Cancer Chemoprevention Trial.

Gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC) is the fourth leading global cause of cancer mortality and leading infection-associated cancer. High-incidence regions of GAC include Latin America and Eastern Asia. Immigrants from high-incidence regions maintain their GAC risk.

High Incidence of Gastric Cancer in El Salvador: A National Multisectorial Study during 2000 to 2014.

Background: Gastric adenocarcinoma is the fourth leading cause of global cancer mortality and leading infection-associated cancer. Gastric cancer has significant geographic variability, with a high incidence in East Asia and mountainous regions of Latin America. In the United States, gastric cancer represents a marked disparity with incidence rates that are two to three times higher in Hispanics compared to non-Hispanic Whites.

Population-Based Study of Gastric Cancer Survival and Associations in Rural Western Honduras.

Background: Two-thirds of global cancers occur in low/middle income countries (LMIC). Northern Central America is the largest LMIC region in the Western Hemisphere and lack cancer registries to guide cancer control. We conducted a gastric cancer survival study in rural Western Honduras, characterized as having among the highest gastric cancer incidence rates in Latin America.

Integrating socioeconomic and ecological data into restoration practice.

Driven by the United Nations Decade on Restoration and international funding initiatives, such as the Mangrove Breakthrough, investment in mangrove restoration is expected to increase. Yet, mangrove restoration efforts frequently fail, usually because of ad hoc site-selection processes that do not consider mangrove ecology and the socioeconomic context. Using decision analysis, we developed an approach that accounts for socioeconomic and ecological data to identify sites with the highest likelihood of mangrove restoration success.

Wood cookstove use is associated with gastric cancer in Central America and mediated by host genetics.

Biomass cookstove food preparation is linked to aero-digestive cancers, mediated by ingested and inhaled carcinogens (e.g., heterocyclic amines, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons).

Gastric Cancer: Emerging Trends in Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment.

Gastric adenocarcinoma (GC) is the fourth leading cause of global cancer mortality, and the leading infection-associated cancer. Helicobacter pylori is the dominant risk factor for GC and classified as an IARC class I carcinogen. Surveillance of gastric premalignant conditions is now indicated in high-risk patients.

A Flexible Pulse Generator Based on a Field Programmable Gate Array Architecture for Functional Electrical Stimulation.

Non-invasive Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) is a technique applied for motor rehabilitation of patients with central nervous system injury. This technique requires programmable multichannel systems to configure the stimulation parameters (amplitude, frequency, and pulse width). Most FES systems are based on microcontrollers with fixed architecture; this limits the control of the parameters and the scaling to multiple channels.

Western Honduras Copán Population-Based Cancer Registry: Initial Estimates and a Model for Rural Central America.

Purpose: Population-based cancer registries (PBCRs) are critical for national cancer control planning, yet few low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have quality PBCRs. The Central America Four region represents the principal LMIC region in the Western hemisphere. We describe the establishment of a PBCR in rural Western Honduras with first estimates for the 2013-2017 period.

Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC1) gene variant (rs2302615) is associated with gastric cancer independently of Helicobacter pylori CagA serostatus.

The primary cause of gastric cancer is chronic infection with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), particularly the high-risk genotype cagA, and risk modification by human genetic variants. We studied 94 variants in 54 genes for association with gastric cancer, including rs2302615 in ornithine decarboxylase (ODC1), which may affect response to chemoprevention with the ODC inhibitor, eflornithine (difluoromethylornithine; DFMO).

Prevalence and Associated Dietary Factors of Rome IV Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders in Rural Western Honduras.

Background: The literature is limited regarding the prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) in Central America, and the role of dietary factors.

Methods: The Rome IV diagnostic questionnaire and National Cancer Institute Diet History questionnaire were administered in one-on-one interviews to a distributed cross section of the general adult population of Western Honduras. Our aim was to estimate prevalence of common FGIDs and symptoms and their relationships to dietary habits.

A 500-year tale of co-evolution, adaptation, and virulence: Helicobacter pylori in the Americas.

Helicobacter pylori is a common component of the human stomach microbiota, possibly dating back to the speciation of Homo sapiens. A history of pathogen evolution in allopatry has led to the development of genetically distinct H. pylori subpopulations, associated with different human populations, and more recent admixture among H.

Cardiovascular risk assessment in the resource limited setting of Western Honduras: An epidemiological perspective.

Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) epidemiology varies significantly among Low and Middle-Income Countries. Honduras is the Central American country with the highest Ischemic Heart Disease and CVD mortality rates. The aim of this study was to assess the individual CVD risk factors and calculate Cardiovascular Risk Assessment Scores (CVRAS) from the population.

Bidirectional Ventricular Tachycardia in a Women with Dilated Cardiomyopathy: A Case Report.

Introduction: Bidirectional ventricular tachycardia (BVT) is a rare arrhythmia characterized by QRS complexes with an axis in the frontal plane alternating polarity in the precordial leads and right bundle branch block (RBBB) morphology. To the best of our knowledge, there is no previous report in dilated cardiomyopathy or in the context of a probable peripartum cardiomyopathy.

Case Presentation: A 26-year-old, 9-month female patient, with no significant past medical history (the patient denies medication intake, herbs like aconite, trouble during delivery, any heart issues or family history of sudden death or cardiomyopathies) who presents to the emergency room due to 11 days of dyspnea, exacerbated by daily activities, orthopnea, and paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea.

Traumatic injuries in rural Honduras: A two month pilot study.

Objectives: Trauma is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with a disproportionate burden of illness in low- and middle- income countries. This study sought to provide a proof-of-concept pilot study to evaluate the feasibility of a trauma registry in the Western Honduras Hospital.

Methods: A cross-sectional, observation study was performed that included all admitted, transferred, or deceased trauma patients presenting to the Western Honduras Hospital from February 4, 2019 until April 4, 2019.

Circulating Antibodies against Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) and p53 in EBV-Positive and -Negative Gastric Cancer.

Background: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive gastric cancers have clinicopathologic differences from EBV-negative tumors and lack mutation. Serologic profiles may inform viral contribution to carcinogenesis.

Methods: We compared humoral responses of EBV-positive ( = 67) and EBV-negative ( = 137) patients with gastric cancer from the International EBV-Gastric Cancer Consortium.

Geospatial analyses identify regional hot spots of diffuse gastric cancer in rural Central America.

Background: Geospatial technology has facilitated the discovery of disease distributions and etiology and helped target prevention programs. Globally, gastric cancer is the leading infection-associated cancer, and third leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide, with marked geographic variation. Central and South America have a significant burden, particularly in the mountainous regions.

Helicobacter pylori antimicrobial resistance and antibiotic consumption in the low-resource Central America setting.

Background: Antimicrobial resistance is a global public health problem, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where antibiotics are often obtained without a prescription. H. pylori antimicrobial resistance patterns are informative for patient care and gastric cancer prevention programs, have been shown to correlate with general antimicrobial consumption, and may guide antimicrobial stewardship programs in LMICs.

Advancing Reliable Data for Cancer Control in the Central America Four Region.

The Central America Four (CA-4) region, comprising Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua, is the largest low- and middle-income country region in the Western Hemisphere, with over 36 million inhabitants. The CA-4 nations share a common geography, history, language, and development indices, and unified with open borders in 2006. The growing CA-4 cancer burden among the noncommunicable diseases is expected to increase 73% by 2030, which argues for a regional approach to cancer control.

Health Barriers and Patterns of Gastric Cancer Care in Rural Central American Resource-Limited Settings.

This population-based, case-control study analyzes the potential barriers to cancer care resources in rural Honduras in a cohort of patients with gastric cancer.

[Survival of Gastric Cancer in Western Honduras Pilot study: 2002-2012].

Background: Gastric cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death globally. In Honduras the incidence in the last decade was 39 and 21 per 100,000 inhabitants for men and women, respectively. In 2008 IARC (GLOBOCAN) placed Honduras as the country with the highest incidence of gastric cancer in Latin America.

Hydrogen Metabolism in Helicobacter pylori Plays a Role in Gastric Carcinogenesis through Facilitating CagA Translocation.

Unlabelled: A known virulence factor of Helicobacter pylori that augments gastric cancer risk is the CagA cytotoxin. A carcinogenic derivative strain, 7.13, that has a greater ability to translocate CagA exhibits much higher hydrogenase activity than its parent noncarcinogenic strain, B128.

Gastric adenocarcinoma microRNA profiles in fixed tissue and in plasma reveal cancer-associated and Epstein-Barr virus-related expression patterns.

MicroRNA expression in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue (FFPE) or plasma may add value for cancer management. The GastroGenus miR Panel was developed to measure 55 cancer-specific human microRNAs, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-encoded microRNAs, and controls. This Q-rtPCR panel was applied to 100 FFPEs enriched for adenocarcinoma or adjacent non-malignant mucosa, and to plasma of 31 patients.

Anti-Helicobacter pylori Antibody Profiles in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-Positive and EBV-Negative Gastric Cancer.

Background: Helicobacter pylori is the primary cause of gastric cancer, but about 9% of cases harbor Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in the tumor cells. There is limited evidence on the possible interaction or antagonism between these infectious agents in gastric carcinogenesis.

Methods: We compared H.

Three Molecular Subtypes of Gastric Adenocarcinoma Have Distinct Histochemical Features Reflecting Epstein-Barr Virus Infection Status and Neuroendocrine Differentiation.

Current histopathologic classification schemes for gastric adenocarcinoma have limited clinical utility and are difficult to apply due to tumor heterogeneity. Elucidation of molecular subtypes of gastric cancer may contribute to our understanding of gastric cancer biology and to the development of new molecular markers that may lead to improved diagnosis, therapy, or prognosis. We previously demonstrated that Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-infected gastric cancers have a distinct human gene expression profile compared with uninfected cancers.