Gastric cancer epidemiology in tertiary healthcare in Chiapas. / Epidemiología de cáncer gástrico en el tercer nivel de atención en salud en Chiapas.

INTRODUCTION AND AIM: Gastic cancer is the most frequent neoplasia of the digestive tract worldwide. Incidence rates vary according to the region or country analyzed. Variation in the different regions of Mexico is attributed to very specific dietary, environmental, and genetic patterns. The aim of the present work was to carry out an epidemiologic analysis of the cases of gastric cancer treated at the Hospital Regional de Alta Especialidad 'Ciudad Salud', located in Chiapas, Mexico. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A descriptive, ambispective, longitudinal study was conducted. Cases of gastric cancer were searched for in the database from the oncology service of our hospital, that were treated within the time frame of 2007 to 2014. The data obtained were analyzed using the SPSS v. 20 statistics program. RESULTS: A total of 100 cases of gastric cancer were detected, 84 of which were included in the study. Forty-one of the cases were men, 43 were women, and their mean age was 57.3 years. Incidence was 2.14 for every 100 oncology patients released from the hospital. Of the study patients, 35.71% stated they had been alcoholics, 22.61% were smokers, and 90.16% were diagnosed with adenocarcinoma. At the end of follow-up, 18 of the study patients had died. CONCLUSION: The results of the present epidemiologic analysis showed that the consumption of alcohol and tobacco played an important role in the development of gastric cancer in the patients studied, as well as having a family history of any type of cancer. Because gastric cancer is usually diagnosed in advanced stages, it would be reasonable to formulate a strategy for the prevention, early detection, and control of the disease in the State of Chiapas, Mexico.

Inflammatory biomarkers, disease activity index, and self-reported disability may be predictors of chronic arthritis after chikungunya infection: brief report.

The chikungunya virus (ChikV) is a reemerging mosquito-borne pathogen that causes disabling chronic arthritis. The relationship between clinical evolution and inflammatory biomarkers in patients with ChikV-induced arthritis has not been fully described. We performed a prospective case series to evaluate the association among joint involvement, self-reported disability, and inflammatory biomarkers. Patients with ChikV infection were followed for 1 year. Joint involvement and self-reported disability were evaluated with disease activity index 28 (DAS-28) and World Health Organization Disablement Assessment Schedule II (WHODAS-II). Interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and rheumatoid factor (RF) were used as biomarkers. Ten patients with mean age 48 ±15.04 years were included. Symptoms at diagnosis were fever, arthralgias, myalgias, rash, arthritis, nausea, vomiting, and back pain. Polyarticular involvement was present in seven cases. At diagnosis, measures were as follows: DAS-28, 5.08±1.11; WHODAS-II score, 72.3±10.3 %; CRP, 5.09±7.23 mg/dL; ESR, 33.5±17.5 mm/h; RF, 64±21.7 IU/mL; and IL-6, 17.6±10.3 pg/mL. Six patients developed subacute and chronic symptoms. During follow-up, DAS-28 index, WHODAS-II score, ESR, and IL-6 were statistically different in patients with subacute and chronic symptoms compared to those who resolved in the acute phase (p < 0.05). DAS-28 index, WHODAS-II score, and IL-6 were related to chronicity of articular symptoms and could be used as predictors of ChikV-induced arthritis.

Population structure and paternal admixture landscape on present-day Mexican-Mestizos revealed by Y-STR haplotypes.

Mestizos currently represent most of the Mexican population (>90%); they are defined as individuals born in the country having a Spanish-derived last name, with family antecedents of Mexican ancestors back at least to the third generation. Mestizos are result of 500 years of admixture mainly among Spaniards, Amerindians, and African slaves. Consequently, a complex genetic pattern has been generated throughout the country that has been scarcely studied from the paternal point of view. This fact is important, taking into account that gene flow toward the New World comprised largely males. We analyzed the population structure and paternal admixture of present-day Mexican-Mestizo populations based on Y-STRs. We genotyped at least 12 Y-STRs in DNA samples of 986 males from five states: Aguascalientes (n = 293); Jalisco (n = 185); Guanajuato (n = 168); Chiapas (n = 170); and Yucatán (n = 170). AmpFlSTR Y-filer and Powerplex-Y(R) kits were used. Inclusion of North and Central Y-STR databases in the analyses allowed obtaining a Y-STR variability landscape from Mexico. Results confirmed the population differentiation gradient previously noted in Mestizos with SNPs and autosomal STRs throughout the Mexican territory: European ancestry increments to the Northwest and, correspondingly, Amerindian ancestry increments to the Center and Southeast. In addition, SAMOVA test and Autocorrelation Index for DNA Analysis autocorrelogram plot suggested preferential gene flow of males with neighboring populations in agreement with the isolation-by-distance model. Results are important for disease-risk studies (principally male-related) and for human identification purposes, because Y-STR databases are not available on the majority of Mexican-Mestizo populations.