Triglyceride-Rich Lipoproteins: Their Role in Atherosclerosis.

The term "triglyceride-rich lipoproteins" (TRLs) includes chylomicrons and their remnants, very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL), and intermediate-density lipoproteins (IDL). In this manuscript, the mechanisms by which atherogenic TRLs contribute to the formation of atheroma plaques are reviewed. Cholesterol from TRLs that can be retained in the subendothelial space (i.e., remnants, DLs, and small VLDLs) contributes to the genesis of atherosclerosis. Triglycerides of atherogenic TRLs induce inflammation of the arterial wall. Mechanisms that explain the involvement of TRLs in atherosclerosis are the generation of pro-atherogenic changes in high-density lipoproteins and low-density lipoproteins, accumulation of TRLs in plasma, and their passage to the subendothelial space where they cause endothelial dysfunction and inflammation of the vascular wall. Furthermore, plasma accumulation of TRLs causes hyperviscosity and a procoagulant state. Finally, this manuscript summarizes the controversial aspects of the clinical approach and the treatment of cases with dyslipidemia explained by atherogenic TRLs.

Development and qualification of a representative scale-down model of automated Ficoll-based processing of a cell-based therapeutic according to quality by design principles.

BACKGROUND AIMS: This article describes the development of a small-scale model for Ficoll-based cell separation as part of process development of an advanced therapy medicinal product and its qualification. Because of the complexity of biological products, their manufacturing process as well as characterization and control needs to be accurately understood. Likewise, scale-down models serve as an indispensable tool for process development, characterization, optimization and validation. This scale-down model represents a cell processor device widely used in advance therapies. This approach is inteded to optimise resources and to focus its use on process characterisation studies under the paradigm of the Quality by design. A scale-down model should reflect the large manufacturing scale. Consequently, this simplified system should offer a high degree of control over the process parameters to depict a robust model, even considering the process limitations. For this reason, a model should be developed and qualified for the intended purpose. METHODS: Process operating parameters were studied, and their resulting performance at full scale was used as a baseline to guide scale-down model development. Once the model was established, comparability runs were performed by establishing standard operating conditions with bone marrow samples. These analyses showed consistency between the bench and the large scale. Additionally, statistical analyses were employed to demonstrate equivalence. RESULTS: The process performance indicators and assessed quality attributes were equivalent and fell into the acceptance ranges defined for the large-scale process. CONCLUSIONS: This scale-down model is suitable for use in process characterization studies.

Management of hypertension and dyslipidemia in Mexico: Evidence, gaps, and approach.

Hypertension and dyslipidemia are key risk factors for cardiovascular disorders and mortality worldwide. To understand the local health system challenges faced in the management of the two conditions, a semi-systematic approach was adopted for quantifying stages of the journey of care of adult Mexican patients, namely, awareness, screening, diagnosis, treatment, adherence, and control. A structured literature search was conducted for articles published in English from 2010 to 2019 in EMBASE and MEDLINE databases. The articles restricted to patient subgroups, or not having national representativeness, thesis abstracts, letters to the editor, editorials, or case studies were excluded. In addition, an unstructured unrestricted literature search was conducted, on websites of Incidence and Prevalence Database, World Health Organization, Country's Ministry of Health, and Google. Last search was run on 28 August 2020 for Hypertension and 12 November 2019 for Dyslipidemia. Weighted or simple means were calculated for the pooled data. Seven articles of 647 retrievals for hypertension and 11 articles of 1265 retrievals for dyslipidemia were included in the review. The prevalence of hypertension was estimated to be 24.1%, while 59.9% of patients had awareness, 97.5% underwent screening, 18.4% had diagnosis, 50% received treatment, 50% were adherent to treatment, and 49.9% had disease control. Prevalence of dyslipidemia was estimated as 36.7%, while 8.6% of patients had awareness, 48.1% underwent screening, 28% had diagnosis, 68.9% received treatment, 50% were adherent to treatment, and 30% had disease control. The study suggested that addressing the synergistic effect of hypertension and dyslipidemia could reduce cardiovascular risk associated with these conditions.

La hipertensión y la dislipidemia -especialmente la hipercolesterolemia- son factores de riesgo cardiovascular que impactan directamente en la prevalencia e incidencia de enfermedades cardiovasculares en todo el mundo y México no es la excepción. Para comprender los desafíos que enfrenta el sistema de salud de nuestro país, especialmente en lo relacionado con el diagnóstico, tratamiento y control de los factores de riesgo cardiovascular mencionados, realizamos un análisis semi-sistemático de la literatura con el objetivo de evaluar las fases del proceso de atención de pacientes adultos mexicanos en lo relacionado con el conocimiento, detección, diagnóstico, tratamiento, adherencia y control de hipertensión y dislipidemia. Se llevó a cabo una investigación bibliográfica semi-sistemática de los artículos publicados en inglés del año 2010 al año 2019; las bases de datos exploradas fueron EMBASE y MEDLINE. Se excluyeron del análisis los artículos sin representatividad nacional, así como los resúmenes de tesis, cartas al editor, editoriales o estudios de casos. Además, se realizó una búsqueda bibliográfica sin restricciones, en los sitios Web de las bases de datos sobre Incidencia y Prevalencia, Organización Mundial de la Salud, Secretaría de Salud de México y Google. La última búsqueda sobre hipertensión se realizó el 28 de agosto del 2020 y sobre dislipidemia el 12 de noviembre del 2019. Se calcularon las medias ponderadas o simples para la recolección de datos. En la revisión, se incluyeron 7 artículos de 647 sobre hipertensión y 11 artículos de 1,265 sobre dislipidemia. Se estimó que la prevalencia de hipertensión en México es de 24.1%; 97.5% de la población reportó haber sido sometida a alguna prueba de detección; 59.9% tuvo conocimiento del diagnóstico; 18.4 % se reconocen con hipertensión; 50% reciben tratamiento; 50% es adherente al mismo, y finalmente solo un 49.9 % tienen control de la hipertensión. Se estimó que la prevalencia de dislipidemia en México es de 36.7%; 48.1% de la población reportó haber sido sometida a alguna prueba de detección; 8.6% tuvo conocimiento del diagnóstico; 28% se conocen con dislipidemia; 68.9% reciben tratamiento; 50% es adherente al mismo, y finalmente solo 30% tuvo control de la dislipidemia. La evidencia revisada hace evidente una gran área de oportunidad para mejorar los índices de diagnóstico, tratamiento y control de estos dos factores sinérgicos para el riesgo de enfermedades cardiovasculares.

A Relative Cost of Control Analysis of IDegLira versus Other Forms of Basal Insulin Intensification in Mexico.

OBJECTIVES: Achieving glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes is important as it reduces the risk of complications and their related clinical and economic burden. Yet therapeutic inertia due to the fear of hypoglycemia, complex treatment regimens, weight gain, and therapy costs, among others, limits achieving glycemic control. This analysis aims to assess the short-term cost of control (cost per patient achieving treatment goals) with insulin degludec/liraglutide (IDegLira) versus other forms of basal insulin intensification (insulin glargine titration, basal-bolus therapy, and the combination of insulin glargine and lixisenatide: IGlarLixi) in type 2 diabetes patients not controlled with basal insulin in the Mexican private setting. METHODS: The proportion of patients achieving treatment goals was obtained from DUAL V and DUAL VII studies (full trial population) and a indirect treatment comparison analyzing IDegLira versus IGlarLixi. Annual cost of treatment was estimated using unitary costs from IQVIA's Pharmaceutical Market Mexico (PMM) audit and wholesale acquisition costs (both from December 2021). The cost of control was estimated by dividing the annual cost of treatment by the proportion of patients achieving the corresponding treatment goal: glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C) < 7.0%, HbA1C < 7.0% without weight gain, HbA1C < 7.0% without hypoglycemia, and HbA1C < 7.0% without hypoglycemia and weight gain. One-way sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess how variations in the model inputs impacted cost-effectiveness outcomes. RESULTS: The proportion of patients achieving treatment goals was higher for IDegLira versus other forms of basal insulin intensification in all endpoints assessed. The annual cost of treatment with IDegLira was similar to the cost of treatment versus IGlarLixi or versus basal-bolus therapy ($54,659 versus $55,831 MXN and $51,008 versus $52,987 MXN, respectively), and higher in comparison with insulin glargine titration ($52,186 versus $40,194 MXN). The cost of controlling one patient with IDegLira was lower than any other form of basal insulin intensification, for all treatment goals. CONCLUSION: When integrating the greater clinical efficacy of IDegLira with its annual cost, it can be shown that within 1 year, IDegLira is the best option in terms of value for money for payers in a private healthcare setting in Mexico in comparison with other forms of basal insulin intensification. Thus, investing in IDegLira not only represents a greater clinical benefit, but also an economical one for payers.

A cross-sectional study on the prevalence of cardiovascular disease in elderly patients with long-term type 2 diabetes mellitus mainly attended in private clinics in Mexico. The CAPTURE study.

BACKGROUND: To estimate the contemporary prevalence of established cardiovascular disease (CVD) in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Mexico. METHODS: CAPTURE was a multinational, non-interventional, cross-sectional study across 13 countries from five continents. Standardized demographic and clinical data were collected from adults with T2D attending a single routine healthcare visit in primary or specialized care between December 2018 and September 2019. Data from Mexico are analyzed in this study. RESULTS: Of the 9,823 patients included in the CAPTURE study, 820 (8.3%) participants were from Mexico, mainly attended in private centers (29.3% in 6 specialized diabetes treatment centers and 70.7% in 26 primary care centers). The median age was 63.0 years, 52.6% were women, the duration of diabetes was 11.8 years and the average HbA1c 7.5%. The weighted prevalence [95% CI] of CVD and atherosclerotic CVD was 36.9% [34.1-39.6] and 29.5% [26.7-32.3], respectively. Additionally, the prevalence of coronary heart disease, heart failure, peripheral arterial disease and cerebrovascular disease was 23.1% [20.6-25-7], 8.4% [6.8-10.0], 5.0% [3.5-6.5] and 3.9% [2.6-5.2], respectively. Glucose lowering drugs were used in 88.5% of patients, being metformin the most commonly drug used (79.4%), followed by sulfonylureas (26.3%). SGLT-2 inhibitors and GLP1 receptor agonists were used in 15.5% and 3.9%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In Mexico, nearly four out of ten patients with T2D mainly attended in private centers have CVD, particularly atherosclerotic CVD. Most patients were not taking glucose lowering drugs with proven CV benefit.

Risk stratification and lipid evaluation in mexican patients, evidence of lipid and cardiovascular analysis in REMECAR. The mexican registry of cardiovascular diseases (REMECAR group).

Background and aims: Dyslipidaemia is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease in the Mexican population. This analysis aimed to describe the baseline LDL-c levels of patients presenting to cardiovascular clinics and evaluate the proportion who achieved their risk-based LDL-c goals as recommended by 2021 ESC prevention guidelines. Methods: The REMECAR registry is an observational study of patients attending a specialized cardiovascular clinic for their first visit. The cardiovascular risk was retrospectively determined using the 2021 ESC guideline stratification and the SCORE2 and SCORE-OP. Results: A total of 5443 patients were included in the analysis. Within this population, 55.96% presented as very high, 39.98% as high and 4.06% as moderate to low risk. 63% of the participants were not on any lipid-lowering treatment at entry, while 12.4% were receiving high-intensity statin therapy. Patients presenting with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease had a mean LDL-c of 90.9 ± 40.7 mg/dL. Of these, 14.1% were achieving LDL-c levels of 70-55 mg/dL and 19.3% were achieving LDL-c levels <55 mg/dL. In diabetic patients at very high risk, only 25.7% achieved their LDL-c goal. Finally, in patients without another risk factor and very high-risk evaluated by SCORE2 & SCORE-OP, only 14% of patients achieved their LDL-c goals. Conclusions: An important number of patients were not receiving any lipid-lowering therapy. Furthermore, in those who were, a significant portion did not achieve LDL-c recommended thresholds. Our results underline the urgent need to improve the prescription and optimization of lipid-lowering therapy as the current management appears to be insufficient for achieving optimal recommended goals. Identifying key barriers in lipid management is fundamental to establishing better strategies and health system policies to reduce cardiovascular risk.

Antimicrobial development in the era of emerging resistance.

Antibiotics currently under study by the Food and Drugs Administration include: faropenem (for treatment of sinusitis, bronchitis, and community-acquired pneumonia), dalbavancin (for catheter infections), telavancin (for treatment of nosocomial pneumonia), oritavancin (for bacteremia), ceftobiprole and iclaprim (for pneumonias). Moreover, all of them would be useful for skin and soft tissue infections.

PIONEER 1: Randomized Clinical Trial of the Efficacy and Safety of Oral Semaglutide Monotherapy in Comparison With Placebo in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: This trial compared the efficacy and safety of the first oral glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, oral semaglutide, as monotherapy with placebo in patients with type 2 diabetes managed by diet and exercise alone. Two estimands addressed two efficacy-related questions: a treatment policy estimand (regardless of trial product discontinuation or rescue medication use) and a trial product estimand (on trial product without rescue medication use) in all randomized patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This was a 26-week, phase 3a, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial conducted in 93 sites in nine countries. Adults with type 2 diabetes insufficiently controlled with diet and exercise were randomized (1:1:1:1) to once-daily oral semaglutide 3 mg, 7 mg, 14 mg, or placebo. The primary end point was change from baseline to week 26 in HbA1c. The confirmatory secondary end point was change from baseline to week 26 in body weight. RESULTS: In the 703 patients randomized (mean age 55 years, 50.8% male, and mean baseline HbA1c 8.0% [64 mmol/mol]), oral semaglutide reduced HbA1c (placebo-adjusted treatment differences at week 26: treatment policy estimand, -0.6% [3 mg], -0.9% [7 mg], and -1.1% [14 mg]; trial product estimand, -0.7% [3 mg], -1.2% [7 mg], and -1.4% [14 mg]; P < 0.001 for all) and body weight (treatment policy, -0.1 kg [3 mg], -0.9 kg [7 mg], and -2.3 kg [14 mg, P < 0.001]; trial product, -0.2 kg [3 mg], -1.0 kg [7 mg, P = 0.01], and -2.6 kg [14 mg, P < 0.001]). Mild-to-moderate transient gastrointestinal events were the most common adverse events with oral semaglutide. Trial product discontinuations occurred in 2.3-7.4% with oral semaglutide and 2.2% with placebo. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with type 2 diabetes, oral semaglutide monotherapy demonstrated superior and clinically relevant improvements in HbA1c (all doses) and body weight loss (14 mg dose) versus placebo, with a safety profile consistent with other GLP-1 receptor agonists.

Management of hypertension and dyslipidemia in Mexico: evidence, gaps, and approach / Manejo de la hipertensión y dislipidemia en México: evidencia, brechas y aproximaciones

Abstract Hypertension and dyslipidemia are key risk factors for cardiovascular disorders and mortality worldwide. To understand the local health system challenges faced in the management of the two conditions, a semi-systematic approach was adopted for quantifying stages of the journey of care of adult Mexican patients, namely, awareness, screening, diagnosis, treatment, adherence, and control. A structured literature search was conducted for articles published in English from 2010 to 2019 in EMBASE and MEDLINE databases. The articles restricted to patient subgroups, or not having national representativeness, thesis abstracts, letters to the editor, editorials, or case studies were excluded. In addition, an unstructured unrestricted literature search was conducted, on websites of Incidence and Prevalence Database, World Health Organization, Country's Ministry of Health, and Google. Last search was run on 28 August 2020 for Hypertension and 12 November 2019 for Dyslipidemia. Weighted or simple means were calculated for the pooled data. Seven articles of 647 retrievals for hypertension and 11 articles of 1265 retrievals for dyslipidemia were included in the review. The prevalence of hypertension was estimated to be 24.1%, while 59.9% of patients had awareness, 97.5% underwent screening, 18.4% had diagnosis, 50% received treatment, 50% were adherent to treatment, and 49.9% had disease control. Prevalence of dyslipidemia was estimated as 36.7%, while 8.6% of patients had awareness, 48.1% underwent screening, 28% had diagnosis, 68.9% received treatment, 50% were adherent to treatment, and 30% had disease control. The study suggested that addressing the synergistic effect of hypertension and dyslipidemia could reduce cardiovascular risk associated with these conditions.

Resumen La hipertensión y la dislipidemia -especialmente la hipercolesterolemia- son factores de riesgo cardiovascular que impactan directamente en la prevalencia e incidencia de enfermedades cardiovasculares en todo el mundo y México no es la excepción. Para comprender los desafíos que enfrenta el sistema de salud de nuestro país, especialmente en lo relacionado con el diagnóstico, tratamiento y control de los factores de riesgo cardiovascular mencionados, realizamos un análisis semi-sistemático de la literatura con el objetivo de evaluar las fases del proceso de atención de pacientes adultos mexicanos en lo relacionado con el conocimiento, detección, diagnóstico, tratamiento, adherencia y control de hipertensión y dislipidemia. Se llevó a cabo una investigación bibliográfica semi-sistemática de los artículos publicados en inglés del año 2010 al año 2019; las bases de datos exploradas fueron EMBASE y MEDLINE. Se excluyeron del análisis los artículos sin representatividad nacional, así como los resúmenes de tesis, cartas al editor, editoriales o estudios de casos. Además, se realizó una búsqueda bibliográfica sin restricciones, en los sitios Web de las bases de datos sobre Incidencia y Prevalencia, Organización Mundial de la Salud, Secretaría de Salud de México y Google. La última búsqueda sobre hipertensión se realizó el 28 de agosto del 2020 y sobre dislipidemia el 12 de noviembre del 2019. Se calcularon las medias ponderadas o simples para la recolección de datos. En la revisión, se incluyeron 7 artículos de 647 sobre hipertensión y 11 artículos de 1,265 sobre dislipidemia. Se estimó que la prevalencia de hipertensión en México es de 24.1%; 97.5% de la población reportó haber sido sometida a alguna prueba de detección; 59.9% tuvo conocimiento del diagnóstico; 18.4 % se reconocen con hipertensión; 50% reciben tratamiento; 50% es adherente al mismo, y finalmente solo un 49.9 % tienen control de la hipertensión. Se estimó que la prevalencia de dislipidemia en México es de 36.7%; 48.1% de la población reportó haber sido sometida a alguna prueba de detección; 8.6% tuvo conocimiento del diagnóstico; 28% se conocen con dislipidemia; 68.9% reciben tratamiento; 50% es adherente al mismo, y finalmente solo 30% tuvo control de la dislipidemia. La evidencia revisada hace evidente una gran área de oportunidad para mejorar los índices de diagnóstico, tratamiento y control de estos dos factores sinérgicos para el riesgo de enfermedades cardiovasculares.

Statin-associated muscle symptoms: position paper from the Luso-Latin American Consortium.

In the last two decades, statin therapy has proved to be the most potent isolated therapy for attenuation of cardiovascular risk. Its frequent use has been seen as one of the most important elements for the reduction of cardiovascular mortality in developed countries. However, the recurrent incidence of muscle symptoms in statin users raised the possibility of causal association, leading to a disease entity known as statin associated muscle symptoms (SAMS). Mechanistic studies and clinical trials, specifically designed for the study of SAMS have allowed a deeper understanding of the natural history and accurate incidence. This set of information becomes essential to avoid an unnecessary risk of severe forms of SAMS. At the same time, this concrete understanding of SAMS prevents overdiagnosis and an inadequate suspension of one of the most powerful prevention strategies of our times. In this context, the Luso-Latin American Consortium gathered all available information on the subject and presents them in detail in this document as the basis for the identification and management of SAMS.

[Syndrome X vs metabolic syndrome]. / Síndrome X vs síndrome metabólico: entendiendo sus coincidencias y sus diferencias hacia una "nueva cardiología".

Himsworth in 1939 postulated that Diabetes Mellitus type 2 (DM2) was not only an insulin deficiency state but also a cellular insulin insensitivity disease. Thirty years later, DeFronzo and Reaven demonstrated that insulin resistance (IR) preceded and predisposed for DM2 and atherosclerotic-cardiovascular-disease (ACVD). Reaven was the first to point out the relationship between IR and with hyperglycemia, dyslipidosis, and hypertension as mediators for ACVD, creating the concept of Syndrome X (SX) in 1988. WHO and, thereafter, other medical societies and medical groups, mainly ATP-III, in 2002, based on the difficulty of diagnosing IR in a simple, reliable, and inexpensive way, proposed and published the Metabolic Syndrome (MS) concept, as a group of five variables, i.e., obesity, hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia, low HDL, and hypertension, as an easy clinical approximation to suspect and treat an increased cardiometabolic risk. Nowadays, there are deep and extensive controversies on this issue; however, these controversies do not really exist since all discordant points of view are rather quantitative and not qualitative in nature. This article is aimed at differentiating and harmonizing the complementary concepts of SX and MS, at analyzing why MS is a good "clinical window" to look for IR and its underlying manifestations, and finally to accept that the MS concept complements, but does not substitute or antagonize, traditional scales used to asses cardiovascular risk, such as the Framingham scale.

Tres desafortunados enemigos de la salud de la población / Three unfortunate enemies of the health of the population

Resumen Tres enfermedades con alta prevalencia en la población adulta, especialmente en México, son la diabetes mellitus tipo 2, la hipertensión arterial y la hiperuricemia-gota; entre ellas comparten características fisiopatológicas que favorecen su aparición como Aceptado: 11 de junio 2019 un conjunto en los pacientes y cuyos tratamientos van frecuentemente de la mano, lo que ha permitido que en las siguientes líneas puedan describirse tales enfermedades Correspondencia como los tres desafortunados enemigos de la salud de la población. Manuel González Ortiz.

Abstract Three diseases with a high prevalence in the adult population, especially in Mexico, are type 2 diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension and hyperuricemia-gout; they share among them pathophysiological characteristics that favor their appearance as a group in the patients and whose treatments are frequently in the same way, the above-mentioned has allowed that in the following lines can be described such diseases as the three to;35(4):596-608. unfortunate enemies of the health of the population.

[Efficiency of in vitro culture of Toxoplasma gondii in THP1 and Vero cell lines]. / Eficiencia de cultivo in vitro de Toxoplasma gondii en las líneas celulares THP1 y Vero.

INTRODUCTION: Cell culture is an important method for isolating Toxoplasma gondii to make clinical diagnosis or for biotechnological purposes. OBJECTIVE: The percentage of invasion and production levels of T. gondii was determined for THP1 and Vero cell lines. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The growth conditions for T. gondii in Vero and THP1 cell lines were determined by counting in hemocytometer chamber. The percentage of invasion of T. gondii in THP1 and Vero cells was determined by flow cytometry in different cell/tachyzoite ratios: 1/5, 1/20, 1/50. The growth performance index of the T. gondii RH strain and the CIBM1 isolate was calculated for THP1 cells. RESULTS: Vero cells multiplied faster than the THP1 cells, showing an exponential and a sigmoidal growth curve respectively, within a period of 7 days. The CIBM1 isolate infected the THP1 cells in three different parasite concentrations: 1/5, 1/20 and 1/50, with invasion percentages in THP1 cells of 57.1%, 15.5% and 12.2% and for the Vero cells 25.3%, 17.8% and 8.8% respectively. The RH strain of T. gondii had the lowest invasion percentage with 32.6%, 14.8% and 8.1% in THP1 cells and 22.3%, 14.1% and 3.4% in Vero cells. CONCLUSIONS: The CIBM1 isolate had a higher yield than the RH strain of T. gondii in THP1 cells. THP1 cells were indicated to be a good model for the study of invasion and for the assays of new pharmacological candidates against T. gondii.

Infectious agents associated with schizophrenia: a meta-analysis.

Schizophrenia is a highly disabling and limiting disorder for patients and the possibility that infections by some microorganisms may be associated to its development may allow prevention and recovery. In the current study we have done a meta-analysis of studies that have assessed the possible association between detection of different infectious agents and schizophrenia. We report results that support the idea that there is a statistically significant association between schizophrenia and infection by Human Herpesvirus 2 (OR=1.34; CI 95%: 1.09-1.70; p=0.05), Borna Disease Virus (OR=2.03; CI 95%: 1.35-3.06; p<0.01), Human Endogenous Retrovirus W (OR=19.31; CI 95%: 6.74-55.29; p<0.001), Chlamydophila pneumoniae (OR=6.34; CI 95%: 2.83-14.19; p<0.001), Chlamydophila psittaci (OR=29.05; CI 95%: 8.91-94.70; p<0.001) and Toxoplasma gondii (OR=2.70; CI 95%: 1.34-4.42; p=0.005). The implications of these findings are discussed and further research options are also explicated.

Statins: cardiovascular risk reduction in percutaneous coronary intervention-basic and clinical evidence of hyperacute use of statins.

Reduction of LDL-cholesterol concentration in serum, blocking the isoprenylation of GTPases and the activation of myocyte-protective enzyme systems are three mechanisms that currently explain the lipid and non-lipid effects of statins. However, the decrease of LDL-cholesterol, the reduction of inflammation biomarkers and even the atheroregresion, as surrogate effects to the mechanisms of action of statins would be irrelevant if not accompanied by a significant decrease in the incidence of cardiovascular events. Statins like no other pharmacological group have proven to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular events and prolong life in any clinical scenario. This article review the basic and clinical evidence that support a new indication for HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors "pharmacological myocardial preconditioning before anticipated ischemia" or hyperacute use of statins in subjects with any coronary syndrome eligible for elective, semi-urgent or primary percutaneous coronary intervention: ARMYDA-Original, NAPLES I-II, ARMYDA-ACS, ARMYDA-RECAPTURE, Non-STEMI-Korean, Korean-STEMI trials.

Low intrathecal immune response of anti-EBNA-1 antibodies and EBV DNA from multiple sclerosis patients.

Numerous studies have been carried out to determine whether an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection can be considered a risk factor for multiple sclerosis (MS), following the evidence of an increase in IgG response to nuclear antigen-1 (EBNA-1) in both serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from MS patients. However, the possible interaction between EBV and MS has still not been well characterized, and the possible pathogenic role is yet to be determined. A case-control study (76 cases and 75 controls) was conducted to investigate anti-EBV antibodies synthesis in serum and CSF through intrathecal specific IgG synthesis to EBNA-1, as well as the presence of EBV DNA in plasma, peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and CSF from MS patients. Intrathecal EBNA-1 specific IgG synthesis was detected in 6.6% MS patients and in 17.3% controls. No EBV DNA was found in plasma or CSF, and our findings showed no evidence of high intrathecal EBNA-1 specific IgG synthesis or of significant EBV DNA in CSF in MS patients.

[Prevalence of positive serology to Trypanosoma cruzi in patients with clinical diagnosis of dilated myocardiopathy in the state of Campeche]. / Prevalencia de serología positiva para Trypanosoma cruzi en pacientes con diagnóstico clínico de miocardiopatía dilatada en el Estado de Campeche, México.

The prevalence of chronic Chagas' heart disease as a cause of dilated cardiomyopathy is unknown in the State of Campeche, Mexico. A study was conducted to determine the prevalence of positive serology for Trypanosoma cruzi in patients with clinical diagnosis of dilated cardiomyopathy. Of a total of 127 patients diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, we studied 91 with two positive serological tests for T. cruzi. We identified 14 positive cases for a prevalence of 15 % of chronic Chagas' heart disease. This prevalence is similar to that reported for the rest of the Yucatan Peninsula.

Serological diagnosis of Chlamydia pneumoniae infection: limitations and perspectives.

Chlamydia pneumoniae is an obligate intracellular human pathogen responsible for a wide range of acute and chronic human diseases, including pneumonia and other respiratory diseases. Serological methods for the diagnosis of C. pneumoniae infection vary widely, and several authors have reported significant inter- and intra-laboratory variability in diagnostic methods and criteria. Over the past 10 years, numerous studies have focused on the identification of specific antigens for application in serodiagnosis, including the diagnosis of persistent infections. The use of proteomics may enable the development of serological diagnosis kits that offer reliable sensitivity and specificity and might even differentiate between the various stages of infection with this pathogen.

Recuperando la función endotelial / Recovering endothelial function

La enfermedad ateroesclerótica comienza a temprana edad. La presencia de factores de riesgo, como la hipertensión arterial, tabaquismo, dislipidemia y diabetes mellitus, a lo que hoy se suman la obesidad y el síndrome metabólico, originan desde el inicio disfunción endotelial, incremento del estrés oxidativo e inflamación, con aparición temprana de células espumosas, estrías grasas y placas de ateroma. Placas que en algunos de los casos son consideradas vulnerables, con un riesgo de sufrir erosión y rotura, el fenómeno aterotrombótico y un evento vascular agudo, como el síndrome coronario agudo y el accidente cerebrovascular. Al manejar y tratar los factores de riesgo cardiovasculares, síndrome metabólico, marcadores precoces del riesgo cardiovascular, se podría enlentecer o retardar el envejecimiento (injuria endotelial) de los órganos blanco, probablemente sin reducción de la mortalidad, pero logrando tres enfoques fundamentales con la detección temprana de la aterotrombosis subclínica: prevenir eventos cardiovasculares, brindar protección de los órganos blanco y mejorar la calidad de vida...

Atherosclerosis starts early in life. The presence of risk factors like hypertension, smoking, dyslipidemia and diabetes as well as obesity and metabolic syndrome accelerates its progress. These factors generate endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress and inflammation, with early appearance of foamy cells, fatty streaks and atheromatous plaques. These plaques are vulnerable to erosion and rupture, the so called atherothrombotic phenomenon, leading to acute vascular events like acute coronary or cerebrovascular syndromes. Managing and treating the metabolic syndrome, early markers of cardiovascular risk, could slow down end organ aging and damage, probably without reduction of mortality but focusing on three fundamental aspects of early detection of subclinical atherothrombosis: prevention of cardiovascular events, protection of end organs, and improvement of quality of life...

[Chlamydophila pneumoniae: from its proteomics to arteriosclerosis]. / Chlamydophila pneumoniae: desde su proteómica hasta la arteriosclerosis.

Chlamydophila pneumoniae is a highly prevalent intracellular human pathogen with a unique biphasic life cycle. It is a common cause of upper respiratory infection and pneumonia, and is currently being studied as a potential risk factor for the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The outer membrane surface antigens of C. pneumoniae are highly complex: some, such as the major outer membrane protein, are specific, but poorly immunodominant, whereas others have stronger immunogenicity, but are cross-reactive among Chlamydia species. Therefore, new, highly immunodominant, species-specific antigens should be sought. In this regard, the polymorphic membrane proteins (PMPs) are a) unique to Chlamydiae, b) often exposed on the surface of the bacteria, and c) highly immunogenic; these factors make them potential candidates for application in laboratory assays. Other chlamydial antigens, such as heat shock protein (HSP) 60, have been associated with atherosclerotic lesions because of their ability to induce an immunological attack on the endothelial wall. Over the last decade, several studies have suggested a potential role of chronic C. pneumoniae infection in human atherosclerosis. Nevertheless, prospective studies with sufficiently large samples and a healthy comparison group, using a combination of direct and indirect microbiological techniques in the same subject and sample, are needed to establish a relationship between the infection and disease activity.