Congenital eyelid imbrication syndrome in a Hispanic newborn: case report and review of the literature.

A 6-hour newborn boy presented with bilateral overriding of the upper eyelids during sleep and spontaneous eyelid eversion. Physical examination revealed canthal tendon laxity and hyperemia of the tarsal conjunctiva of both eyes. A diagnosis of congenital eyelid imbrication syndrome (CEIS) was established. The cornea and remaining adnexal structures were healthy; therefore, conservative management with lubricant ointment was initiated. On day 4, complete resolution of upper eyelid overriding and absence of spontaneous eversion was observed. CEIS is a rare eyelid malposition disorder in which the upper eyelid overrides the lower. Most CEIS cases described in the literature present at birth, occur in Asian patients, are associated with floppy eyelid, and resolve spontaneously. The authors present the first report of CEIS in a Hispanic newborn and a literature review of previously reported cases.

IL-1α and MMP-9 Tear Levels of Patients with Active Ocular Rosacea before and after Treatment with Systemic Azithromycin or Doxycycline.

AIMS: The purpose of this paper was to determine the lacrimal concentration of IL-1α and MMP-9 in patients with active ocular rosacea before and after systemic treatment with azithromycin or doxycycline. METHODS: After 4 weeks of therapy with azithromycin (500 mg/day, 3 days a week PO) or doxycycline (200 mg/day PO), lacrimal samples were analyzed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay multiplex. RESULTS: There was a significant difference between baseline IL-1α (37.9 pg/mL) and MMP-9 (26.7 ng/mL) in rosacea eyes compared to controls (0.001 pg/mL for IL-1α and 0.2 ng/mL for MMP-9) (p < 0.001). IL-1α decreased from 47.0 pg/mL before azithromycin to 23.5 pg/mL after treatment (p = 0.024), but not after doxycycline therapy. On the contrary, baseline MMP-9 tear levels (10.28 ng/mL) decreased after treatment (8.36 pg/mL) with doxycycline (p = 0.054) but not with azithromycin. There was a strong clinical correlation of higher baseline IL-1α tear levels between patients who responded to doxycycline therapy and those who failed (p = 0.043). Patients unresponsive to azithromycin had significantly higher baseline MMP-9 levels than those with doxycycline (p = 0.040). CONCLUSIONS: While IL-1α levels decreased after azithromycin therapy, MMP-9 did so after doxycycline treatment. Baseline cytokine tear levels tend to be markedly elevated in patients with antibiotic failure, suggesting their potential role as therapeutic biomarkers for the disease.

Association of ALT and the metabolic syndrome among Mexican children.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is emerging as a component of the metabolic syndrome (MetS); Hispanics being particularly predisposed. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is considered a marker of NAFLD. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and associations between ALT elevations and MetS in normal-weight, overweight and obese Mexican children and adolescents, since data in Mexico is scarce. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), percentage body fat, blood pressure, glucose, lipid profiles, ALT and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were measured in 236, 6-12yo normal-weight, overweight and obese Mexicans from eight public schools. The results showed that elevated ALT (>40 IU/L) was found in 17.7% of the obese and overweight population, with no gender difference. The prevalence of elevated ALT increased linearly across BMI categories (p = 0.001), from 0.0% for the normal-weight group (95%CI 0.0-€“8.0) to 22.4% for the obese one (95%CI 16.2-€“30.2). AST/ALT ratio <1 also increased linearly, as did the prevalence of MetS (p = 0.001), from 0.0% for the normal-weight group to 40.3% for the obese one. The prevalence of MetS was strongly associated with elevated ALT (p = 0.002), 50% in the elevated ALT group (95%CI 34.1-€“65.9) and 24.1% in the normal ALT one (95%CI 18.1-€“31.3). There was also a strong association between MetS and an AST/ALT ratio <1. WC was the best predictor of elevated ALT (AOR = 7.13). Pearson correlation showed that MetS components were significantly correlated with elevated ALT. Therefore elevated ALT levels were highly prevalent and strongly associated with MetS in Mexican children, it should be screened in overweight and obese children.

Clinical and epidemiological features of 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza differ slightly according to seroprevalence status during the second wave in the general population in México.

BACKGROUND: Clinical features of pandemic H1N1 have been derived from lab-confirmed, hospitalized, or critically ill subjects. This report describes the clinical features of H1N1 and their prevalence from non-confirmed subjects according to seroprevalence status in México. The objective was to determine the prevalence of these clinical features from non-confirmed cases of pandemic H1N1 and to compare them according to seroprevalence status in northern Monterrey, México, during 2009, and to identify the predictive signs and symptoms; there have been no prior serologic studies in México. METHODS: During November-December 2009, 2,222 volunteers, ages 6-99 years, were categorized into 3 symptomatic groups: influenza-like illness, respiratory illness, and non-respiratory illness. Antibodies against influenza A/H1N1/2009 were determined by a virus-free enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Demographics and clinical presentation were assessed through face-to-face questionnaire, and the association with seroprevalence status was determined and compared. RESULTS: Overall seroprevalence was 39%. Of the seropositive subjects, 67% were symptomatic and 33% were asymptomatic. Seventy-one percent of seropositive symptomatic subjects reported respiratory illness, 17% reported non-respiratory symptoms, and 12% reported influenza-like illness. The most common symptoms were rhinorrhea/nasal congestion (93%) and headache (83%). No significant difference was found between the symptom profiles of the seropositive group, compared to the seronegative one, nor of the median duration of symptoms. The seropositive group had a significantly elevated proportion of influenza-like illness (12%), compared to the seronegative group (8%). The proportion of subjects who took days off and who sought medical attention was significantly higher in the seropositive group. No single symptom was associated as a predictor of seropositiveness. CONCLUSIONS: One third of the seropositive subjects were asymptomatic, and few had an influenza-like illness. No difference was found in the symptom profiles of the seropositive and seronegative groups. No single symptom predicted seropositiveness. Large scale population studies are needed, especially in México, to characterize clinical syndromes.

Seroprevalence of antibodies to influenza A/H1N1/2009 among transmission risk groups after the second wave in Mexico, by a virus-free ELISA method.

OBJECTIVE: No serological studies have been performed in Mexico to assess the seroprevalence of influenza A/H1N1/2009 in groups of people according to the potential risk of transmission. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of antibodies against influenza A/H1N1/2009 in subjects in Mexico grouped by risk of transmission. METHODS: Two thousand two hundred and twenty-two subjects were categorized into one of five occupation groups according to the potential risk of transmission: (1) students, (2) teachers, (3) healthcare workers, (4) institutional home residents aged >60 years, and (5) general population. Seroprevalence by potential transmission group and by age grouped into decades was determined by a virus-free ELISA method based on the recombinant receptor-binding domain of the hemagglutinin of influenza A/H1N1/2009 virus as antigen (85% sensitivity; 95% specificity). The Wilson score, Chi-square test, and logistic regression models were used for the statistical analyses. RESULTS: Seroprevalence for students was 47.3%, for teachers was 33.9%, for older adults was 36.5%, and for the general population was 33.0%, however it was only 24.6% for healthcare workers (p=0.011). Of the students, 56.6% of those at middle school, 56.4% of those at high school, 52.7% of those at elementary school, and 31.1% of college students showed positive antibodies (p<0.001). Seroprevalence was 44.6% for college teachers, 31.6% for middle school teachers, and 29.8% for elementary school teachers, but was only 20.3% for high school teachers (p=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: The student group was the group most affected by influenza A/H1N1/2009, while the healthcare worker group showed the lowest prevalence. Students represent a key target for preventive measures.