Preventive Measures among Healthcare Workers (HCWs) during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

COVID-19, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), placed health systems worldwide under immense pressure, and healthcare workers (HCWs) were at the front lines. The Puerto Rico Department of Health confirmed the first case of COVID-19 in March 2020. We aimed to assess whether COVID-19 preventive measures implemented by HCWs were effective in a work scenario before vaccine availability.

High DRC Levels Are Associated with Let-7b Overexpression in Women with Breast Cancer.

Nucleotide Excision Repair (NER) is a critical pathway involved in breast cancer (BC). We have previously published that a low DNA repair capacity (DRC) is associated with a higher risk of BC in Puerto Rican women. Let-7b belongs to a miRNA family with tumor suppressor activity that targets oncogenes.

Estrogen Receptor Expression Is Associated with DNA Repair Capacity in Breast Cancer.

Estrogen-receptor-positive (ER+) tumors employ complex signaling that engages in crosstalk with multiple pathways through genomic and non-genomic regulation. A greater understanding of these pathways is important for developing improved biomarkers that can better determine treatment choices, risk of recurrence and cancer progression. Deficiencies in DNA repair capacity (DRC) is a hallmark of breast cancer (BC); therefore, in this work we tested whether ER signaling influences DRC.

Breast Cancer and DNA Repair Capacity: Association With Use of Multivitamin and Calcium Supplements.

Context: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in women, with over 1 million new cases diagnosed every year worldwide. Over recent decades, considerable interest has emerged regarding whether vitamins and/or other supplements can lower the risk of BC. However, previous epidemiologic studies that investigated the association between intake of multivitamin and supplements of single vitamins and minerals and BC risk have reported conflicting results.

Factors associated with breast cancer in Puerto Rican women.

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer afflicting Puerto Rican women and accounts for more cancer-related deaths in this population than any other cancer.

Methods: Demographic, anthropometric, family history, and lifestyle data, as well as DNA repair capacity (DRC), were compared in 465 BC cases and 661 controls. Crude and multiple logistic regression-derived adjusted odds ratios were used as indicators of the associations between BC and the variables under study.

The association of DNA Repair with breast cancer risk in women. A comparative observational study.

Background: Previous studies have found a link between a low DNA repair capacity (DRC) level and increased cancer risk. Our aim was to assess the statistical association of DRC level and breast cancer (BC) using a case-control epidemiological study in a Hispanic community.

Methods: We conducted a comparative observational study to assess the validity of DRC in detecting BC in 824 women throughout Puerto Rico.

Risk factors for atopic dermatitis in southern Puerto Rico.

Background: Little is known about the risk factors and exposures to aeroallergens in subjects with atopic dermatitis (AD) in Southern Puerto Rico. The objective was to determine the prevalence of skin reactions to aeroallergens and to analyze self-reported risk factors in AD patients and a nonallergic control population.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted which included 726 AD patients and 313 nonallergic control subjects.

Alfa 1 antitrypsin and protease levels in Puerto Rican asthmatics: a pilot study.

A cross-sectional pilot study was conducted on a population of 119 asthmatics who had been recruited from the Emergency Room Department of a major hospital in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The purpose of the study was to determine the frequency of the MM, MS, and SS a-i-antiprotease variants. Also, we analyzed the serum levels of the alpha-1-antiprotease inhibitor, quantified the levels of serine proteases in homes of the asthmatic volunteers, and determined whether environmental levels of proteases, regardless of their sources, had any association with either asthma symptoms or alpha-1-antiprotease inhibitor phenotypes.

Measuring asthma disparities in Hispanics: adherence to the national guidelines for asthma treatment in emergency departments in Puerto Rico.

Background: Puerto Rico has the highest prevalence of asthma in the United States. Currently, there are no data on actual care given to asthmatic patients.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of documented adherence to the 1997 National Asthma Education Prevention Program guidelines regarding care given in emergency departments (EDs) in Ponce, Puerto Rico.