Trends in prevalence of HIV and syphilis in a central blood bank of Veracruz, Mexico.

Syphilis and HIV infections continue to threaten the safety of blood banks in countries where altruistic donations are rare. The aim of this study of blood donors to the Centro Estatal de la Transfusion Sanguínea de Veracruz (Mexico) was to determine changes in the prevalence of syphilis and HIV, and to identify factors associated with these infections. A total of 109,054 blood donors were retrospectively analyzed from 2007 to 2014. Serological screening of blood units was performed, and demographic data were collected from clinical records to identify risk factors. The prevalence of Treponema pallidum was 1.4% and that of confirmed HIV was 0.11%. The main risk factors for HIV positivity were age of 18 to 24 years-old, being unmarried, and being an employee or student. The main risk factors for syphilis positivity were being a widow or divorced, being over 35 years-old, having a low level of education, and being a driver, fisherman, or trade worker. There were high prevalences for both infections in southeast Veracruz, where females and males had equal probabilities of each infection. Strengthening of education programs on sexually transmitted diseases for young people may help to prevent new and congenital infections.

Prevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi antibodies in blood donors from Veracruz State, Mexico.

BACKGROUND: Trypanosoma cruzi is the causal agent of Chagas disease. Of the Mexican states, Veracruz is among the most affected by this sickness. However, the actual epidemiologic situation of this disease is not well understood. This study sought to determine the prevalence and risk factors for Chagas disease among Veracruzan blood donors. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Blood donors from Centro Estatal de la Transfusion Sanguinea de Veracruz were included. Blood units were serologically scrutinized for T. cruzi antibodies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. To identify risk factors, demographic data were collected from the medical records of positive donors and a representative sample of healthy donors. RESULTS: A total of 87,232 donations were analyzed, and the mean prevalence of T. cruzi was found to be 0.5%. The identified risk factors were living as a couple and in a rural area, having a low level of education, being a farmer, dwelling in a house with earthen or wooden walls and a tile or thatch roof, living with domestic animals, recognition of or exposure to triatomine bugs, and residing in the Huasteca region. An increase of rural-living donors infected with T. cruzi was observed in the past 3 years of the study period. CONCLUSION: The prevalence to Chagas disease has not decreased in the past decade and the disease appears to be spreading in rural areas of Veracruz. This increases the risk of T. cruzi transfusion-transmitted infection, not only in Veracruz and Mexico, but also in other nonendemic countries that receive immigrants from Veracruz State.

Alteration of some inflammatory biomarkers by dietary oxysterols in rats.

Oxysterols are structurally similar to cholesterol, but are characterized by one or more additional oxygen-containing functional groups. These compounds are implicated in inflammation given their ability to cause irreversible damage to vascular cells. The aim of this study was to study the alteration of some inflammatory biomarkers in Wistar rats in response to dietary oxysterols. Eighteen rats were randomly divided into three groups of six rats each. A standard diet supplemented with 1% (w/w) pure cholesterol (Chol group) or 1% (w/w) of an oxidized cholesterol mixture (COPs group) was fed for 8 weeks. Blood serum was separated; abdominal, pericardial, and epididymal adipose tissue was removed carefully. The COPs subjects exhibited significant increase in blood pressure and serum triacylgycerols as well as increased body fat index and pericardic, abdominal, and epididymal adipose tissue. These effects were accompanied by elevated circulating levels of plasma high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and resistin. We suggest that dietary oxysterols have an important pro-inflammatory effect.