Selenium-rich food potentially useful to control mercury levels among Afro-Colombians: Towards an intercultural intervention.

Introduction: Diet-based interventions may be a culturally acceptable option to decrease mercury levels and thus prevent the adverse effects of this metal on population health. Selenium is an element present in Colombian geology that can act as a chelator, decreasing mercury concentrations in the human body.

Objective: To identify potentially useful selenium-rich foods to control the effects of mercury exposure among Afro-Colombians.

Comparison of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG Antibody Responses Generated by the Administration of Ad26.COV2.S, AZD1222, BNT162b2, or CoronaVac: Longitudinal Prospective Cohort Study in the Colombian Population, 2021/2022.

To mitigate the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), vaccines have been rapidly developed and introduced in many countries. In Colombia, the population was vaccinated with four vaccines. Therefore, this research aimed to determine the ability of the vaccines introduced in the National Vaccination Plan to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection and induce seroconversion and sought to investigate the longevity of antibodies in the blood.

SARS-CoV-2 and RT-PCR in asymptomatic patients: Results of a cohort of workers at El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá, 2020.

Introduction: The 2019 coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has caused around 25 million cases worldwide. Asymptomatic patients have been described as potential sources of transmission. However, there are difficulties to detect them and to establish their role in the dynamics of virus transmission, which hinders the implementation of prevention strategies.

Factors Associated with High Mercury Levels in Women and Girls from The Mojana Region, Colombia, 2013-2015.

Women are primarily exposed to mercury through the consumption of fish contaminated by gold mining activities. The main systems affected are the central nervous and renal systems, although effects on the reproductive system have also been found. : To explore the relationship between mercury levels in women and their possible sources of contamination.

Oxidative stress and repetitive element methylation changes in artisanal gold miners occupationally exposed to mercury.

Mercury (Hg) exposure is a public health concern due to its persistence in the environment and its high toxicity. Such toxicity has been associated with the generation of oxidative stress in occupationally exposed subjects, such as artisanal gold miners. In this study, we characterize occupational exposure to Hg by measuring blood, urine and hair levels, and investigate oxidative stress and DNA methylation associated with gold mining.

[Determining social factors related to pesticide poisoning among rice farmers in Colombia].

Objective Large quantities of pesticides are used in rice crops. The aim of this study is to characterize how farmers are exposed to pesticides and subsequent poisoning. Materials and Methods A multilevel (individual and community) multi-method study, which included ethnographic and survey methods, as well as measurement of pesticides in water and human samples, was performed.

Quantification of cell-free DNA for evaluating genotoxic damage from occupational exposure to car paints.

Background: For several years, cell-free DNA has been emerging as an important biomarker for non-invasive diagnostic in a wide range of clinical conditions and diseases. The limited information available on the genotoxic effects associated with occupational exposure to car paints, as well as the fact that up-to-date there are not reports about cell-free DNA measurements for assessing this condition, led us to evaluate the DNA damage caused by the occupational exposure to organic solvents contained in car paints, through the quantification of the cell-free DNA and the comet assay, in a sample of 33 individuals taken from 10 automobile paint shops located in Bogota DC, Colombia.

Results: By applying the two methods, cell-free DNA and comet assay, we found a significant increase in the extent of DNA damage in the exposed individuals compared with the non-exposed ones within the control group.

[State of supply services for industrial hygiene and safety in Colombia].

Introduction: Institutions that supply occupational health services must offer services that are reliable and of high quality across the spectrum of industrial hygiene and safety needs.

Objective: Services for occupational health were identified at several institutions, and the technical quality and reliability of these services were compared in different regions of Colombia.

Materials And Methods: This descriptive study identified the services available for industrial hygiene and safety in 15 cities of Colombia.