Mental Health Problems among COVID-19 Frontline Healthcare Workers and the Other Country-Level Epidemics: The Case of Mexico.

COVID-19 frontline healthcare workers (FHCW) are struggling to cope with challenges that threaten their wellbeing. We examine the frequency and predictors of the most frequent mental health problems (MHP) among FHCW during the first COVID-19 peak in Mexico, one of the most severely affected countries in terms of FHCW's COVID-19 mortality. A cross-sectional survey was conducted between May 8 and August 18, 2020. A total of 47.5% of the sample (n = 2218) were FHCW. The most frequent MHP were insomnia, depression, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and health anxiety/somatization (whole sample: 45.7, 37.4, 33.9, and 21.3%; FHCW: 52.4, 43.4, 40.3 and 26.1, respectively). As compared to during the initial COVID-19 phase, depression and health anxiety/somatization symptoms as well as experiences of grieving due to COVID-19, personal COVID-19 status, and having relatives and close friends with COVID-19 were more frequent during the COVID-19 peak. Obesity, domestic violence, personal COVID-19 status, and grieving because of COVID-19 were included in regression models for main FHCW's MHP during the COVID-19 peak. In conclusion, measures to decrease other country-level epidemics contributing to the likelihood of COVID-19 complications (obesity) and MHP (domestic violence) as well as FHCW´s probability of COVID-19 infection could safeguard not only their physical but also mental health.

Peroxidase deficiency in histiocytes of patients with nodular lepromatous leprosy

The purpose of this study was to investigate the presence of peroxidase (PO) in the histiocytes which are found in the lepromatous lesions of patients with nodular lepromatous leprosy (NLL). We studied dermoepidermal biopsy specimens from lepromstous lesions and blood smears of 10 patients with NLL, eight males and twoo females 28 to 63 years age (average 45 + or - 6.2), of which nine coursed with the stable form of the disease and one was in lepromatous reaction. Six had received treatment with diaminodiphenylsulphone for more than six months, and the other four, none. As controls we studied the blood smears of 10 healthy controls and 10 rat liver sections. PO was investigated in histiocytes, Kupffer cells and polymorphonuclears by dichlorhydrate oxydation, according to the technique of Kaplow. By means of Fite-Faraco´s stain, all ten cases proved to have abundant phagocytized M. leprae. PO was not found in histiocytes of lepromatous lesions in nine cases of stable NLL in lepromatous reaction. PO was present in Kupffer cells, in polymorphonuclears of patients with NLL and in controls. No difference was found either in the PO or M. leprae contents between treated and untreated patients. The PO deficiency in histiocytes of patients with NLL may be related to an incapacity of these cells to destroy M. leprae.

Anticuerpos antinucleares ocultos revelados por reacciones de inmunofluorescencia para C3 y antegenos nucleares de piel humana. / Occult antinuclear antibodies detected by immunofluorescense reaction anti-C3 and nuclear antigens of the human skin

Se estudiaron ocho mujeres adultas con diagnostico de lupus eritematoso sistemico grave, que habian dado repetidamente resultados negativos en las pruebas para detectarles anticuerpos antinucleares de las clases IgG, IgM e IgA, por reacciones de inmunofluorescencia con cortes de higado y rinon de rata y Crithidia luciliae. Cuando las reacciones se hicieron con cortes de piel autologa e o testigos sanos, suero fresco de la pacientes y se revelaron con sureo fluorescente anti-C3, se obtuvieron resultados positivos con patron de inmunofluorescencia anular a titulos iguales o mayores de 1:128 en todas ellas. Dichos antinucleares activaron el complemento por la via clasica. Las mismas reacciones con los sueros de otras 20 pacientes con lupus comprobado dieron resultados similares.Los sueros diluidos y sin diluir de 20 testigos dieron resultados negativos. Estos resultados mostraron que algunos pacientes con lupus tienen anticuerpos antinucleares que no son detectables por las reacciones convencionales de inmunofluorescencia; pero que si son demostrables con antigenos nucleares de piel autologa o de testigos sanos, suero fresco de la paciente y revelandolas a traves de la fijacion del componente C3 del sistema del complemento