Current status and challenges in timely detection of cervical cancer in Mexico: expert consensus.

Cervical cancer is a significant public health problem in low- and middle-income countries, accounting for 85% of new cases worldwide. Due to poorly organized screening programs, cervical cancer is more likely to develop in vulnerable groups who do not initiate or rarely undergo screening. Cervical cytology and detecting high-risk human papillomavirus types are the recommended screening tools. Further, these strategies allow for accurately identifying women at a higher risk of cervical cancer and establishing screening times. New detection tools, such as novel biomarkers or automatic HPV detection in the vagina or urine, can improve screening coverage. This review aims to identify the challenges faced by detection programs and screening tools in Mexico to provide evidence-based recommendations to improve early detection programs for cervical cancer.

Urinary prolactin as a reliable marker for preeclampsia, its severity, and the occurrence of adverse pregnancy outcomes.

CONTEXT: It has been proposed that preeclampsia may result from of an imbalance in angiogenic factors. Although prolactin (PRL) is mainly related to lactation, it is also involved in other biological functions, including angiogenesis. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to determine the relationship among preeclampsia, serum and urinary PRL (uPRL) levels, and excretion of antiangiogenic PRL fragments in urine. STUDY DESIGN: Using a cross-sectional design, uPRL and serum PRL levels, and the presence of PRL isoforms were determined in 546 pregnant women: 207 healthy pregnant, 124 with gestational hypertension, 48 with mild preeclampsia, and 167 with severe preeclampsia (sPE). RESULTS: uPRL concentrations were significantly (P < 0.001) higher in preeclampsia (11.99 ng/mg creatinine) than in healthy pregnancy (0.20 ng/mg creatinine) and gestational hypertension (0.19 ng/mg creatinine), and were even higher in sPE compared with mild preeclampsia (21.20 vs. 2.77 ng/mg creatinine, respectively; P < 0.001). Antiangiogenic PRL fragments (14-16 kDa) were detected in 21.6% of urine samples from women with sPE but in none from other groups. Patients with hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelet count syndrome, and/or eclampsia, placental abruption, acute renal failure, and pulmonary edema exhibited highest uPRL concentrations (P < or = 0.028) and frequency of antiangiogenic PRL fragments in urine (P < or = 0.036). High-serum PRL levels were associated with sPE independently of gestational age, proteinuria, and prolactinuria (P = 0.032). CONCLUSIONS: Preeclampsia is characterized by increased uPRL excretion. uPRL concentrations and their isoforms appear to be suitable markers to assess the severity of preeclampsia and occurrence of adverse outcomes. PRL and and/or its isoforms might be involved in the pathophysiology of preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia is associated with lower production of vascular endothelial growth factor by peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies show that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) downregulation is implicated in preeclampsia (PE) pathophysiology. This study assessed the relationship between PE and VEGF levels produced by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and their serum levels. METHODS: A cross-sectional design was performed in 36 patients who had hypertensive disorders during pregnancy. We also used a longitudinal design with 12 pregnant women with risk factors for PE development and/or abnormal uterine arteries by Doppler study. VEGF and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) levels were measured for all patients in both designs. RESULTS: sFlt-1 serum was higher in preeclamptic patients (n = 26), whereas VEGF produced by stimulated PBMCs was lower than in healthy pregnant women and VEGF levels produced by stimulated PBMCs were even lower (p <0.003) in severe PE (n = 16). The receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis allowed establishing a cut-off value to identify patients with PE. VEGF production by PBMCs was 339.87 pg/mL. In addition, a robust linear regression model was performed to adjust the variance in VEGF levels. The patients' age decreased VEGF levels and was adjusted by weeks of gestation (WG) in our model. In the longitudinal study, 7/12 patients developed PE. VEGF produced by PBMCs cells was significantly lower in PE at 24-26 WG. CONCLUSIONS: VEGF production by PBMCs is inhibited during PE, creating a downregulation of the microenvironment; this deficiency may contribute to the pathogenesis of disease.

Protein:creatinine ratio in random urine samples is a reliable marker of increased 24-hour protein excretion in hospitalized women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: The protein:creatinine ratio in random, untimed urine samples correlates with 24-h protein excretion in pregnant women with and without hypertension. Nevertheless, whether this ratio is appropriate as a screening test for proteinuria is still unclear, in part because of the paucity of large studies. METHODS: We measured protein:creatinine ratios in random urine samples and protein contents of 24-h urine samples in a cross-sectional study of 927 hospitalized pregnant women at >/=20-weeks of gestational age and in a 2nd cohort of 161 pregnant women. In the 2nd group, urine specimens were obtained before and after completion of the 24-h collections, avoiding 1st-morning void specimens. RESULTS: Protein excretion was >/=300 mg/24 h in 282 patients (30.4%). The urine protein:creatinine ratio and the 24-h protein excretion were significantly correlated (r = 0.98, P <0.001). The protein:creatinine ratio as an indicator of protein excretion >/=300 mg/24 h was >/=0.3. The sensitivity and specificity were 98.2% and 98.8%, respectively. Positive and negative predictive values were 97.2% and 99.2%, respectively, and positive and negative likelihood ratios were 79.2 and 0.02, respectively. The diagnostic accuracy of the urinary protein:creatinine ratio was corroborated in the 2nd cohort of patients, which also showed no statistically significant difference in protein:creatinine ratio between samples obtained >24 h apart. CONCLUSIONS: Random urinary protein:creatinine ratio is a reliable indicator of significant proteinuria (>300 mg/day) in nonambulatory pregnant women, irrespective of sampling time during the daytime. The protein:creatinine ratio may be reasonably used as an alternative to the 24-h urine collection method.