Risk factors for pre-eclampsia/eclampsia among working women in Mexico City.

This study examined risk factors for pre-eclampsia/eclampsia in a population-based sample of pregnant working women in Mexico City. Over a 3-month period, all women who gave birth at three major hospitals and who had worked for at least 3 months during pregnancy were interviewed. After excluding mothers with multiple gestations or infants with birth defects, and previous diagnoses of hypertension, chronic renal disease or diabetes, 131 of 2,436 women (5.4%) had been diagnosed with pre-eclampsia and/or eclampsia. The frequency was much higher among women of low socio-economic status: 12% of uninsured women (SSA) compared with 4.2% of private sector employees (IMSS) and 1.3% of public sector employees (ISSSTE). After adjusting for education, women working in services (OR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.01, 2.81) and in retail (OR = 1.99, 95% CI = 1.18, 3.37), primiparae (OR = 2.64, 95% CI = 1.65, 4.21) and women whose pregestational weight was > or = 55 kg (OR = 2.02, 95% CI = 1.34, 3.04) were at increased risk. Efforts to develop and evaluate intervention programmes should target hospitals serving the uninsured (SSA) if reduction in the number of preventable maternal deaths in Mexico is to be achieved. Such programmes should also target service and retail workers and identify women with poor glycaemic control early in pregnancy.

[Changes in the conditions for child survival in Mexico and strategies for the future]. / Cambio en las condiciones de sobrevivencia infantil en México y estrategias para el futuro.

Conditions of infant and child survival in Mexico have improved considerably over the last 60 years. Infant mortality rates were reduced from more than 250 deaths per 1,000 infants born alive in 1929-1931, to a rate of less than 50 in the period 1982-1987, a figure which still places Mexico among the countries with a high infant mortality rate. Though improvements in the living conditions of the population have undoubtedly played a part in the reduction of infant and child mortality, the early introduction of sanitation campaigns and, more recently of immunization, antibiotics and other modern health techniques have probably been more important. Health services have been extended throughout the country. However, significant portions of the population, especially in the rural areas, but also in the growing urban marginal ones, are to a large extent underserved. As a result, great inequalities in the health status of the population and in their access to health services remain. The problem of providing services to the whole population has become aggravated by the economic and financial crisis which has plagued Mexico since 1982. Reduced revenues for exports and the high cost of servicing the external and the internal debt have significantly decreased government revenues. As a result, public resources directed to health-related services diminished by 50 per cent in real terms between 1982 and 1987. This trend has to be reversed through enforced measures directed to the mobilization of untapped external and internal resources. But improving the conditions of child survival in Mexico requires more than financial resources. It is necessary to integrate and coordinate the fragmented services offered by the government, to give a much higher priority to preventive measures, and to research and to the adequate training of professionals and paraprofessionals in order to re-orient the health system for serving the real needs of the more underprivileged groups of the population (understanding and respecting their cultural beliefs and practices). In this way, Mexico can reverse the trend toward greater inequality which pervades the present system.

In vitro and in vivo effects of Imipenem on phagocytic activity of murine peritoneal macrophages.

Imipenem, a new antibiotic beta-lactam, and Tienam (an Imipenem/Cilastatine combination) have been studied in vitro and in vivo respectively, in the phagocytic function of macrophages. In this paper we have seen the variations produced by 50 mg/l of Imipenem and 120 mg/kg of Tienam in the adherence, spontaneous mobility, chemotaxis, opsonization, phagocytosis of Candida albicans and latex beads, candidicid effect and nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction in peritoneal macrophages from BALB/C mice. This antibiotic significantly increases in vitro and in vivo the adherence, spontaneous mobility and chemotaxis, phagocytosis of latex beads and the digestion of ingested material (nitroblue tetrazolium reduction) in the above-mentioned cells. The number of Candida albicans opsonized and ingested by the macrophages is not modified in the presence of Imipenem, and neither is the candidicid effect.

Primary immunodeficiency in Colombian children.

Eighty-three patients with diagnosis of immunodeficiency were studied, antibody deficiency disorders were the most common 74.6%, abnormalities of unspecific mechanisms in 13.3% and deficiencies of cell mediated immunity in 9.6% of patients. Selective IgA deficiency was the most common of the humoral defects, 28 patients, the others were IgM and IgG selectives deficiency. The mortality was 6%, specially in patients with cellular deficiency. Immunodeficiencies are one of most common genetic diseases, needing appropriate diagnosis, treatment and developing centers with advanced technology.

Antibodies against spermatozoids. Studies in homosexuals, AIDS and infertile men.

The presence of antibodies against spermatozoids was evaluated in one person with AIDS and six homosexuals (HS). Indirect immunofluorescence was utilized along with immunoenzymatic trial with peroxidase (ELISA) in order to detect antibodies class IgG towards spermatozoids and their membrane proteins. Optic densities of the following groups of patients were compared: 1) One patient with AIDS. 2) Six homosexuals (HS). 3) Three HS with cells OKT8 greater than 30%. 4) Three HS with cells OKT8 less than 30%. 5) Three men with auto-antibodies against spermatozoids + infertility. 6) Two men without auto-antibodies against spermatozoids + infertility. 7) Five women, spouses of the infertile men. 8) Five multiparous with more than 3 pregnancies. 9) One man with orchitis. 10) Ten fertile and healthy (C.G.) heterosexual persons. The patient with AIDS and the one with orchitis had the highest optic densities (OD), (groups 1 and 9). Groups 8 and 10 had the lowest, non-significant values. Groups 2, 5 and 7 ranked second in place in reference to O.D. Groups 3, 4 and 6 ranked third in O.D. values. Groups 8 and 10 differed significantly at P less than 0.005 compared with the others. The presence of antibodies against spermatozoids was considered as an important factor associated with AIDS and previous states of the AIDS detected by OKT8 greater than 30% of lymphocytes. The IIF and ELISA were able to detect antigenic system in spermatozoids with allelic form, which may be similar to the mice locus t, or a new tissue specific system.