Rural treatment of COVID-19 patients with pirfenidone, nitazoxanide and colchicine. Case series.

Combined treatments against SARS-CoV-2 are emerging and some have taken into account the post-COVID-19 fibrosis. The aim of this survey was to report the experience of treating COVID-19 patients with pirfenidone, nitazoxanide (NTZ) and colchicine. It was a case series report of COVID-19 patients treated from December 2020 to March 2021, in a rural health center located in the State of Mexico, Mexico. 23 patients were included (mean age 44.5 ± 17.1 years), 12 women (mean age 45.9 ± 17.9 years) and 11 men (mean age 43 ± 16.9 years) with four deaths (17.39%). The evolution time was of 17.3 ± 6.7 days being the main symptoms fever (82.6%), myalgia (69.6%) and cough (65.2%). The main comorbidities were overweight/obesity 18 (78.26%), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) 4 (17.39%), Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) 5 (21.73%) and systemic hypertension 2 (8.69%). Two patients were intubated and both died; in these cases, they refused to take NTZ until after three days the medical doctor had prescribed it for the first time. It can be concluded that implementing a mixed treatment with pirfenidone, NTZ and colchicine could improve the survival rate in ambulatory patients of low socioeconomic status.

Evolution of COVID-19 Pregnancies Treated With Nitazoxanide in a Third-Level Hospital.

Background Nitazoxanide shows adequate in vitro activity against coronavirus. The aim of this study was to describe the behavior of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in pregnant women treated with nitazoxanide. Methodology This cross-sectional study included the files of COVID-19 positive pregnant women treated with nitazoxanide 500 mg every 6 hours, levofloxacin every 12 hours, and clarithromycin 500 mg every 12 hours. Results The data of 51 women (mean age: 27.4 ± 7.2 years) were analyzed. Eleven (21.56%) patients had to receive medical attention in the intensive care unit. There were 22 (43.13%) preterm deliveries, 21 by cesarean and one by vaginal delivery. The medical attention of this population was as follows: 31 cesareans, five vaginal deliveries, nine still pregnant, two requiring manual vacuum aspiration, two ectopic pregnancies, one requiring curettage, and one requiring hysterotomy. There were seven (13.72%) cases of preeclampsia, and there were two (3.92%) deaths. Conclusion Nitazoxanide prescription could be an option against COVID-19 in pregnancy due to its safety profile.

Nitazoxanide against COVID-19 in three explorative scenarios.

INTRODUCTION: Nitazoxanide has shown efficacy in vitro against coronavirus infections (MERS, SARS, SARS-CoV-2). The aim of this report is to describe the results of treating COVID-19 positive patients with nitazoxanide in three clinical settings: pregnancy/puerperium, hospitalized patients in an Internal Medicine Service and in an ambulatory setting. METHODOLOGY: This was a prospective follow-up and report of COVID-19 cases in three different situations, pregnant women, hospitalized patients receiving medical attention in an Internal Medicine Service and ambulatory patients residing in Toluca City, and Mexico City. RESULTS: The experience with a first group of 20 women, pregnant (17) or in immediate puerperium (3) was successful in 18 cases with two unfortunate deaths. The five cases treated in an Internal Medicine service showed a positive outcome with two patients weaned from mechanical ventilation. Of the remaining 16 patients treated in an ambulatory setting, all got cured. Nitazoxanide seems to be useful against SARS-CoV-2, not only in an early intervention but also in critical condition as well as in pregnancy without undesired effects for the babies. As an adjunctive therapy budesonide was used that seems to contribute to the clinical improvement. CONCLUSIONS: Nitazoxanide could be useful against COVID-19 as a safe and available regimen to be tested in a massive way immediately.

Trends of inflammatory markers and cytokines after one month of phototherapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: to evaluate changes in the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α in patients with rheumatoid arthritis submitted to phototherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was an open label study, enrolling ten patients. The phototherapy scheme within a range of 425 to 650 nm, 11.33 Joules/cm2, 30 cm above the chest was as follows: a) 45-min daily sessions from Monday to Friday for 2 to 3 months; b) three, 45- min weekly sessions for 1 to 2 months; c) twice weekly 45-min sessions for 1 to 2 months, and d) one weekly session for 1 to 2 months until completion. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein and rheumatoid factor were measured in peripheral blood and tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1ß, and interleukin-10 in leukocytes by quantitative real-time Reverse transcriptase-Polymerase chain reaction. In all the patients the next indexes: Karnofsky scale, Rheumatoid Arthritis-specific quality of life instrument, Steinbrocker Functional Capacity Rating and the Visual Analog Scale were evaluated. RESULTS: Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, and rheumatoid factor declined notoriously after the indicated sessions. In gene expression, there was a tendency in tumor necrosis factor-α to decrease after 1 month, from 24.5±11.4 to 18±9.2 relative units, without reaching a significant statistical difference. The four tested indexes showed improvement. CONCLUSION: Phototherapy appears to be a plausible complementary option to reduce the inflammatory component in rheumatoid arthritis.

[Micronutrients supplementation in women with hypertensive states in pregnancy]. / Suplementación de micronutrimentos en mujeres con estados hipertensivos del embarazo (EHE).

Pregnancy presents a large number of metabolic adaptations and requirements of micro and macronutrients could be increased, which are not always covered by the diet making necessary to supplement some of them. The micronutrients are an important part of metabolic reactions and both; their deficiency as their excess could participate in damage to organs and tissues of the mother and the fetus. Actually the hypertension pregnant states (HPS) participate in the leading causes of death during pregnancy, making necessary the search for interventions to prevent or reduce the consequences.The oxidative stress levels are linked with the risk to develop HPS, which has created assumptions about the use of micronutrients with antioxidant power and its possible role as protectors in these pathologies, however, the information is still uncertain and the metabolic action of the use of micronutrients supplementation is not precisely known because some micronutrients have shown a protective effect on the development of HPS. It is necessary to evaluate the nutritional status before and during pregnancy, as well to realize more studies about it and strengthen public policies about the use of micronutrients during the pregnancy.

[Thrombotic microangiopathy and intravascular hemolysis in pregnancy-induced hypertension. The lie of HELLP syndrome]. / Microangiopatía trombótica y hemólisis intravascular en hipertensión por embarazo. La mentira del síndrome de HELLP.

We reviewed the literature regarding pregnancy-induced hypertension and its relation with thrombotic microangiopathy and intravascular hemolysis (TMIH). In the present work we described the background, frequency, mortality, clinical picture, classification, diagnosis, complications and treatment. In addition, we analyzed Weinstein's report of 1982, and we concluded that the reported data of the HELLP syndrome is not conclusive because the presence of TMIH is not demonstrable in his group of patients. Also, we retrospectively reviewed the medical charts from three Intensive Care Units from two specialized gyneco-obstetrics hospitals and from one General Hospital. From all the patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension and who developed TMIH confirmed clinically and by laboratory findings, we described the incidence of acute renal failure and the mortality in this group of patients.