Pathophysiology of deep vein thrombosis.

Deep venous thrombosis is a frequent, multifactorial disease and a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Most of the time deep venous thrombosis is triggered by the interaction between acquired risk factors, such as hip fracture, pregnancy, and immobility, and hereditary risk factors such as thrombophilias. The mechanisms underlying deep venous thrombosis are not fully elucidated; however, in recent years, important advances have shed light on the role of venous flow, endothelium, platelets, leukocytes, and the interaction between inflammation and hemostasis. It has been described that the alteration of venous blood flow produces endothelial activation, favoring the adhesion of platelets and leukocytes, which, through tissue factor expression and neutrophil extracellular traps formation, contribute to the activation of coagulation, trapping more cells, such as red blood cells. Thus, the concerted interaction of these phenomena allows the formation and growth of the thrombus. In this work, the main mechanisms involved in the pathophysiology of deep vein thrombosis will be described.

Quiste dentígero. Revisión de la literatura y reporte de caso / Dentigerous cyst. Literature review and case report

Introducción: el quiste dentígero, también conocido como quiste folicular, es la segunda forma más habitual de los quistes de la región maxilar después del quiste radicular. Tiene una incidencia del 20% con respecto a todos los quistes odontogénicos y se encuentra más en el género masculino entre los 20-40 años. El manejo conservador en lesiones quísticas de gran tamaño es indispensable para evitar defectos óseos o daño a estructuras vecinas. Sin embargo, en lesiones de menor tamaño, la enucleación continúa siendo el tratamiento de elección. Objetivo: presentar un caso clínico de un quiste dentígero y hacer una revisión de la literatura actualizada. Caso clínico: paciente masculino de 23 años que presentó aumento de volumen en zona geniana derecha y, además, en su ortopantomografía se observó una lesión en el sector de los incisivos superiores. Se realizó enucleación de la lesión, cuyo diagnóstico histológico previo fue quiste dentígero y posteriormente se obtiene una correcta regeneración ósea tras un año de seguimiento Conclusión: el manejo del quiste dentígero es variado: puede ir desde la enucleación quirúrgica hasta la descompresión y marsupialización del mismo. No obstante, todos los tratamientos actuales se basan en contrarrestar los factores de expansión quística que permiten a esta lesión alcanzar grandes tamaños intraóseos y poder causar desde rizolisis de dientes adyacentes hasta una asimetría facial como sucedió en este caso clínico.

Introduction: The dentigerous cyst, also known as a follicular cyst, is the second most common form of cysts of the maxillary region after the radicular cyst. It has an incidence of 20% with respect to all odontogenic cysts, it is found more in the male gender between 20-40 years of age. Conservative management of large cystic lesions is essential to avoid bone defects or damage to neighboring structures. However, in smaller lesions, enucleation continues to be the treatment of choice. Objective: To present a clinical case of a dentigerous cyst and to review the updated literature. Clinical case: A 23-year-old male patient who presented increased volume in the right genital area and his orthopantomography showed a lesion in the upper incisor sector. Enucleation of the lesion was performed, whose previous histological diagnosis was dentigerous cyst and later a correct bone regeneration was obtained after one year of follow-up. Conclusion: The management of the dentigerous cyst is varied, it can range from surgical enucleation to decompression and marsupialization. However, all current treatments are based on counteracting cystic expansion factors that allow this lesion to reach large intraosseous sizes and can cause from rhizolysis of adjacent teeth to facial asymmetry, as happened in this clinical case.

Overexpression and extra-mitochondrial localization of the chaperonin Hsp60 in ameloblastoma.

OBJECTIVES: Ameloblastoma is an odontogenic neoplasm of the mandible and maxilla with various histological types and subtypes. It has been reported that some ameloblastomas could arise from dentigerous cyst walls; thus, the development of ameloblastoma from dentigerous cysts may be due to differential protein expression. Our aim was to identify a membrane protein that is differentially expressed in ameloblastomas with respect to dentigerous cysts. METHODS: We analyzed the SDS-PAGE profiles of membrane proteins from ameloblastomas and dentigerous cysts. The protein in a band present in the ameloblastoma sample, but apparently absent in the dentigerous cyst sample was identified via mass spectrometry as the chaperonin Hsp60. We used western blotting and immunohistochemistry to analyze its overexpression and localization in ameloblastoma. RESULTS: We found a differential band of 95 kDa in the membrane proteins of ameloblastoma. In this band, the chaperonin Hsp60 was identified, and its overexpression was corroborated using western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Hsp60 was localized in the plasma membrane of all ameloblastoma samples studied; in addition, it was found in the cell nucleus of the plexiform subtype of conventional ameloblastoma. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that Hsp60 may be involved in ameloblastoma development, and could therefore be a potential therapeutic target for ameloblastoma treatment.

Obesity in Latin America, a scoping review of public health prevention strategies and an overview of their impact on obesity prevention.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the strategies implemented in seventeen Latin American countries for obesity prevention and to provide an overview of their impact. DESIGN: A thorough search of strategies and their impact was done through an Internet search, governmental webpages, reports and research articles in English, Spanish and Portuguese. SETTING: Latin America (not including the Caribbean countries). PARTICIPANTS: Any. RESULTS: The Ministry of Health is the main oversight for obesity prevention, with six countries having a specific structure for this. Regular obesity monitoring occurs in a few countries, and thirteen countries have a national obesity prevention plan. The main regulations being implemented/designed are front-of-package labelling (sixteen countries), school environment (fifteen countries), school nutrition education (nine countries), promotion of physical activity level (nine countries) and sugar-sweetened beverage tax (eight countries). All countries have dietary guidelines. The main community-based programmes being implemented are school meals (seventeen countries), complementary nutrition (eleven countries), nutrition education (fourteen countries), promotion of physical activity (nine countries) and healthy environments (nine countries). Most of these strategies have not been evaluated. The few with positive results have used a coordinated, multi-disciplinary and multi-sector approach, with legislation and executive-level support. CONCLUSIONS: Important obesity prevention strategies are being implemented in the seventeen Latin American countries included in the present review. However, few have been evaluated to assess their impact on preventing obesity. This information can help assess that actions can be generalised to other countries within the region and can help inform how to prevent obesity in different settings.

Neuroma mentoniano traumático. Reporte de caso clínico / Traumatic mental neuroma. Clinical case reporth

El neuroma traumático no es una verdadera neoplasia sino una proliferación reactiva del tejido neural después de la transección u otro daño de un haz de nervios. Pueden desarrollarse en cualquier lugar, pero son más comunes en el área del foramen mentoniano, la lengua y el labio inferior. La formación de neuromas traumáticos es una causa importante de dolor neuropático, que sigue siendo un problema difícil al que se enfrentan los cirujanos. El mecanismo exacto del dolor asociado al neuroma aún no se comprende completamente y la prevención de su formación es primordial para evitarlo. Hasta la fecha el tratamiento más efectivo ha sido la extirpación quirúrgica. Se reporta el caso de un paciente de sexo femenino de 23 años de edad que presenta un aumento de volumen en el fondo de surco vestibular a nivel de los dientes 44 y 45, así como dolor espontáneo de tipo ardoroso con una evolución de aproximadamente cinco meses. Se decide realizar la resección quirúrgica de la lesión y el resultado histopatológico fue de un neuroma traumático. A los 7 días de seguimiento, se observa un ligero edema en la región bucal y mentoniana; así como anestesia a nivel de la piel del mentón y labio inferior. A 10 meses de seguimiento persistió la anestesia y no se observaron datos de recidiva.

Traumatic neuroma is not a true neoplasm but rather a reactive proliferation of neural tissue after transection or other damage to a nerve bundle. They can develop anywhere but are most common in the area of the mental foramen, tongue, and lower lip. Traumatic neuroma formation is a major cause of neuropathic pain, which remains a difficult problem for surgeons. The exact mechanism of the pain associated with the neuroma is still not fully understood and the prevention of its formation is essential to avoid it. To date the most effective treatment has been surgical removal. We report the case of a 23-year-old female patient who presented an increase in the volume of the vestibular sulcus at the level of teeth 44 and 45, as well as spontaneous burning pain with an evolution of approximately five months. It was decided to perform the surgical resection of the lesion and the histopathological result was a traumatic neuroma. At 7 days of follow-up, slight edema is observed in the oral and mental region; as well as anesthesia at the level of the skin of the chin and lower lip. A 10-month follow-up anesthesia persisted, and no recurrence data were observed.

Oral mucosal lesions in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Report of four cases. Are they a true sign of COVID-19 disease?

BACKGROUND: Vesiculobullous and macular lesions in the oral mucosa have been reported in patients positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Nonetheless, the significance and physiopathology of oral manifestations have not been clearly established in the clinical progression or outcome of the infection. AIM: To describe the clinico-pathological oral mucosal lesions in four patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. METHODS AND RESULTS: Four patients with COVID-19 disease and confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) presented angina bullosa hemorragica-like lesion, vascular disorder, and nonspecific stomatitis, one patient with histological analysis demonstrated perivascular reactive lymphocitic infliltrate, focal capillary thrombosis, and hemorrhage. According to the discrimination of other local and systemic conditions and the synchronous onset of oral and systemic symptoms, the diagnosis of oral lesions probably associated with COVID-19 was established. CONCLUSION: Infection with SARS-CoV-2 may result in oral manifestations with various clinical presentations, which presumably support the hypothesis of thrombi formation and vasculitis; nevertheless, these findings need more evidence and a long-term follow up of patients to accurately establish the significance of the oral mucosa affection in the COVID-19 disease.

Aurora Kinase A Inhibition Provides Clinical Benefit, Normalizes Megakaryocytes, and Reduces Bone Marrow Fibrosis in Patients with Myelofibrosis: A Phase I Trial.

PURPOSE: Myelofibrosis is characterized by bone marrow fibrosis, atypical megakaryocytes, splenomegaly, constitutional symptoms, thrombotic and hemorrhagic complications, and a risk of evolution to acute leukemia. The JAK kinase inhibitor ruxolitinib provides therapeutic benefit, but the effects are limited. The purpose of this study was to determine whether targeting AURKA, which has been shown to increase maturation of atypical megakaryocytes, has potential benefit for patients with myelofibrosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-four patients with myelofibrosis were enrolled in a phase I study at three centers. The objective of the study was to evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of alisertib. Correlative studies involved assessment of the effect of alisertib on the megakaryocyte lineage, allele burden, and fibrosis. RESULTS: In addition to being well tolerated, alisertib reduced splenomegaly and symptom burden in 29% and 32% of patients, respectively, despite not consistently reducing the degree of inflammatory cytokines. Moreover, alisertib normalized megakaryocytes and reduced fibrosis in 5 of 7 patients for whom sequential marrows were available. Alisertib also decreased the mutant allele burden in a subset of patients. CONCLUSIONS: Given the limitations of ruxolitinib, novel therapies are needed for myelofibrosis. In this study, alisertib provided clinical benefit and exhibited the expected on-target effect on the megakaryocyte lineage, resulting in normalization of these cells and reduced fibrosis in the majority of patients for which sequential marrows were available. Thus, AURKA inhibition should be further developed as a therapeutic option in myelofibrosis.See related commentary by Piszczatowski and Steidl, p. 4868.

Primordial odontogenic tumour: report of two cases.

AIMS: Primordial odontogenic tumour (POT) is a rare mixed odontogenic neoplasm that is composed of primitive ectomesenchyme resembling dental papilla, surfaced by odontogenic epithelium resembling inner enamel epithelium, without hard tissue formation. Most reported cases have presented in the posterior mandible as a well-demarcated radiolucency associated with an unerupted tooth in the first two decades of life. The aim of this report is to describe the clinicopathological features of two more cases of POT. METHODS AND RESULTS: Each presented as an asymptomatic well-delineated radiolucency in the mandible in a 15-year-old female and an 18-year-old male, respectively. Both tumours were composed of a proliferation of plump spindle and stellate cells in delicately collagenous and myxoid stroma, surfaced by columnar-squamous epithelial cells with reverse nuclear polarisation at the tumour periphery. In one case, the formation of abortive tooth germ-like structures was noted. This has not been reported previously and supports the hypothesis of the primordial nature of this tumour. Both patients showed no recurrence at 3- and 20-month follow-up, respectively. CONCLUSION: This report describes two additional cases of POT for a total of 11 cases reported in the English language literature.

c-Myb and C/EBPß regulate OPN and other senescence-associated secretory phenotype factors.

Tumorigenesis results from the convergence of cell autonomous mutations and corresponding stromal changes that promote tumor cell growth. Senescent cells, which secrete a plethora of pro-tumorigenic factors termed the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), play an important role in tumor formation. Investigation into SASP regulation revealed that many but not all SASP factors are subject to NF-kB and p38MAPK regulation. However, many pro-tumorigenic SASP factors, including osteopontin (OPN), are not responsive to these canonical pathways leaving the regulation of these factors an open question. We report that the transcription factor c-Myb regulates OPN, IL-6, and IL-8 in addition to 57 other SASP factors. The regulation of OPN is direct as c-Myb binds to the OPN promoter in response to senescence. Further, OPN is also regulated by the known SASP regulator C/EBPß. In response to senescence, the full-length activating C/EBPß isoform LAP2 increases binding to the OPN, IL-6, and IL-8 promoters. The importance of both c-Myb and C/EBPß is underscored by our finding that the depletion of either factor reduces the ability of senescent fibroblasts to promote the growth of preneoplastic epithelial cells.

Mutant U2AF1-expressing cells are sensitive to pharmacological modulation of the spliceosome.

Somatic mutations in spliceosome genes are detectable in ∼50% of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). We hypothesize that cells harbouring spliceosome gene mutations have increased sensitivity to pharmacological perturbation of the spliceosome. We focus on mutant U2AF1 and utilize sudemycin compounds that modulate pre-mRNA splicing. We find that haematopoietic cells expressing mutant U2AF1(S34F), including primary patient cells, have an increased sensitivity to in vitro sudemycin treatment relative to controls. In vivo sudemycin treatment of U2AF1(S34F) transgenic mice alters splicing and reverts haematopoietic progenitor cell expansion induced by mutant U2AF1 expression. The splicing effects of sudemycin and U2AF1(S34F) can be cumulative in cells exposed to both perturbations-drug and mutation-compared with cells exposed to either alone. These cumulative effects may result in downstream phenotypic consequences in sudemycin-treated mutant cells. Taken together, these data suggest a potential for treating haematological cancers harbouring U2AF1 mutations with pre-mRNA splicing modulators like sudemycins.

Beyond efficacy: The full public health impact of vaccines.

There is an active discussion in the public health community on how to assess and incorporate, in addition to safety and measures of protective efficacy, the full public health value of preventive vaccines into the evidence-based decision-making process of vaccine licensure and recommendations for public health use. The conference "Beyond efficacy: the full public health impact of vaccines in addition to efficacy measures in trials" held in Annecy, France (June 22-24, 2015) has addressed this issue and provided recommendations on how to better capture the whole public health impact of vaccines. Using key examples, the expert group stressed that we are in the midst of a new paradigm in vaccine evaluation, where all aspects of public health value of vaccines beyond efficacy should be evaluated. To yield a wider scope of vaccine benefits, additional measures such as vaccine preventable disease incidence, overall efficacy and other outcomes such as under-five mortality or non-etiologically confirmed clinical syndromes should be assessed in addition to traditional efficacy or effectiveness measurements. Dynamic modelling and the use of probe studies should also be considered to provide additional insight to the full public health value of a vaccine. The use of burden reduction and conditional licensure of vaccines based on collection of outcome results should be considered by regulatory agencies.

Meningioma cervicotoracico resistente al tratamiento quirurgico. Presentacion de un caso y revision de la bibliografia / Cervicothoracic meningioma refractory to surgical treatment. Case report and literature review

Presentamos el caso de un hombre de 60 años con signos clínicos de mielopatía cervical de un año de evolución, dolor cervicodorsal intenso (estadio B de Frankel, grado V de Nurick), en el momento de nuestro primer examen. Trae una resonancia magnética que informa un tumor cervicotorácico compatible con meningioma. El paciente requería una rápida resolución quirúrgica y exéresis. Si bien el tiempo entre la presentación clínica inicial y el diagnóstico preliminar de meningioma por resonancia magnética está dentro de lo estipulado en la bibliografía, creemos que esta enfermedad se podría haber diagnosticado y tratado de forma más temprana. Llegamos a la conclusión de que el diagnóstico tardío sumado a las limitaciones en el sistema de salud pública actual han contribuido al resultado final poco satisfactorio, ya que luego de la resección tumoral, la liberación medular y la estabilización con material quirúrgico, aunque el resultado inmediato fue satisfactorio, no se logró un buen resultado funcional a largo plazo, porque el paciente no recuperó la función motora ni sensitiva, sólo se logró que la mielopatía no progresara y el paciente no sufra más dolor.

We report the case of a 60-year-old man with clinical signs of cervical myelopathy during a year, intense cervicodorsal pain (Frankel B stage, Nurick grade V), at the moment of our first examination. He shows a magnetic resonance study reporting cervicothoracic tumor compatible with meningioma. The patient required a quick surgical resolution and excision. Although the time between the initial clinical presentation and the preliminary diagnosis of meningioma by magnetic resonance imaging is within that reported in the literature, we believe that this disease could have been diagnosed and treated earlier. We conclude that late diagnosis added to the limitations in the current public health system have contributed to the unsatisfactory outcome, because after tumor resection, spinal release and stabilization with surgical material, immediate results were successful, but the patient did not obtain a long-term good functional outcome, because he did not recover motor and sensory function, we only avoided myelopathy progression and pain.

[Cystic degeneration of the popliteal artery: Report of one case]. / Degeneración quística de la arteria poplítea: Presentación de caso clínico.

Cystic degeneration of the popliteal artery is an uncommon cause of intermittent claudication. We report a 52 years old male consulting for intermittent claudication referred to the calf. The angiography showed a 93% stenosis in segment of 45 mm length of the left popliteal artery with a smooth surface, suggesting an extrinsic compression. A CT angiography of the lower limb suggested the presence of a cystic degeneration. The patient was operated and the middle third of the popliteal artery was excised. The pathological study of the surgical piece was informed as artery media cystic degeneration.

Degeneración quística de la arteria poplítea: Presentación de caso clínico / Cystic degeneration of the popliteal artery: Report of one case

Cystic degeneration of the popliteal artery is an uncommon cause of intermittent claudication. We report a 52 years old male consulting for intermittent claudication referred to the calf. The angiography showed a 93% stenosis in segment of 45 mm length of the left popliteal artery with a smooth surface, suggesting an extrinsic compression. A CT angiography of the lower limb suggested the presence of a cystic degeneration. The patient was operated and the middle third of the popliteal artery was excised. The pathological study of the surgical piece was informed as artery media cystic degeneration.

[Hughes-Stovin syndrome: report of one case]. / Síndrome Hughes-Stovin: caso clínico.

We report a 25 year old mole admitted to a critical care unit for fever, lung opacities and acute respiratory failure. A chest angio-CAT sean showed multiple pulmonary artery aneurysms. A deep venous thrombosis of both lower limbs was also documented. A Hughes-Stovin syndrome was postulated. An inferior vena cava filter was placed. The patient received antimicrobial therapy subsiding fever and respiratory failure. Subsequently, he was treated with intravenous and oral steroids and one dose of cyclophosphamide. The patient was discharged in good conditions fifteen days after admission.

El tiempo de reacción en sujetos deprimidos / Time of reaction in depressed subjects

Las tasas de prevalencia de la depresión constituyen un serio problema de salud mental y ocupacional aún no resuelto. En el país no se dispone de estudios que caractericen una relación del tiempo de reacción (TR) de los sujetos deprimidos ante estímulos de exigencia mental. El objetivo en el presente trabajo fue corroborar que el TR en pacientes cubanos deprimidos es más lento que en sujetos controles, y conocer su caracterización. Con ese fin fue desarrollado un estudio experimental controlado con 20 sujetos, 10 pacientes con depresión y 10 controles sin depresión. Estos pacientes fueron evaluados con el test de Zung y Conde y pareados por edad (32,8 ± 8,8 años) y sexo (80 por ciento femenino), sometidos a tareas discriminantes con tres niveles creciente de complejidad, evaluando el tiempo de reacción en sus componentes central (TC) y motor (TMO). Se observó para el TC que los deprimidos incrementaron significativamente sus TR en cada una de las tareas con respecto a los controles, del 10 al 17 por ciento (p<0,05), no sucediendo así para el TMO; traduciéndose esto a su vez, en una diferencia de los tiempo de reacción totales en ambos grupos, siendo en la tarea de mayor complejidad de 1,89 s para los deprimidos y 0,928 s para los controles (p<0,03). Los errores de omisión fueron bajos en ambos grupos y los errores de comisión mostraron tendencias a ser mayores en los pacientes. Se concluye que en nuestras condiciones los sujetos que padecen de depresión presentan un tiempo de reacción más lento que los sujetos control, específicamente en el TC. Además, este estudio nos permite valorar la utilidad que pueda tener la incorporación del tiempo de reacción como un elemento complementario para el diagnóstico de la depresión(AU)

The rates of prevalence of depression constitute a serious problem of mental and occupational health yet not resolute. At the country it is not stipulated that of studies characterize a relation of time of reaction (TR) of depressed subjects in front of stimuli of mental requirement. The objective in the present paper was to corroborate that the TR in Cubans depressed patients is more slowly than in control subjects and to know its characterization. An experimental study controlled with 20 subjects was developed, 10 patients with depression and 10 controls without depression. These patients were evaluated with Zung and Conde's test and couplets for age (32,8 ± 8,8 years) and sex (80 percent feminine). Subdued to discriminating tasks with three growing levels of complexity, evaluating the time of reaction in his central components (TC) and motor (TMO). Observed him for the TC that his TR in each of tasks regarding the 10 controls, incremented the depressed for significantly to the17 percent (p < 0,05). No succeeding thus for the TMO; Translating this in turn, in a difference of them total time of reaction in both groups, being in the task of bigger complexity of 1,89 s for the depressed, and 0,928 s for the controls (p < 0,03).The errors of omission were low in both groups, and commission's errors evidenced tendencies to be older in the patients. One comes to an end than in our conditions the subjects that they suffer of depression present a time of more slow reaction than the subjects control, specifically in the TC. Besides this study permits appraising our utility that he may have the incorporation of time of reaction like a complementary element for the diagnosis of depression(AU)

Síndrome Hughes-Stovin: Caso clínico / Hughes-Stovin syndrome: Report of one case

We report a 25yearold mole admitted to a critical care unit for fever, lung opacities and acute respiratory failure. A chest angio-CAT sean showed multiple pulmonary artery aneurysms. A deep venous thrombosis of both lower limbs was also documented. A Hughes-Stovin syndrome was postulated. An inferior vena cava filter was placed. The patient received antimicrobial therapy subsiding fever and respiratory failure. Subsequently, he was treated with intravenous and oral steroids and one dose of cyclophosphamide. The patient was discharged in good conditions fifteen days after admission.

Hacia la cobertura universal en salud: protección social para todos en México

México alcanzará la cobertura universal en salud en 2012. El seguro nacional de salud denominado Seguro Popular, introducido en 2003, garantiza el acceso a un paquete de servicios de salud integrales con protección financiera a más de 50 millones de mexicanos previamente excluidos de la seguridad social. La cobertura universal en México es sinónimo de protección social en salud. Este informe analiza el camino hacia la cobertura universal en sus tres dimensiones de protección: a) contra riesgos para la salud, b) de los pacientes a través de la garantía de calidad de la atención a la salud y c) contra las consecuencias financieras de la enfermedad y las lesiones. Se presenta una discusión conceptual sobre la transición de una seguridad social basada en la condición laboral a la protección social en salud, que implica el acceso a una atención integral de la salud como derecho universal basado en la ciudadanía, plataforma ética de la reforma mexicana. Se describen asimismo las condiciones que llevaron a la reforma, así como su diseño y puesta en marcha, y se discute el proceso de implantación a nueve años de iniciado y las evidencias que dieron origen a actualizaciones y mejoras del programa original. El núcleo del informe se centra en los efectos e impactos de la reforma que se desprenden de la literatura sobre el tema, que incluye artículos científicos y otras publicaciones disponibles. La evidencia indica que el Seguro Popular está mejorando el acceso a los servicios de salud y reduciendo la prevalencia de los gastos en salud catastróficos y empobrecedores, especialmente entre los pobres. Estudios recientes muestran asimismo una mejora en la cobertura efectiva. También se discuten los desafíos prevalentes, incluyendo la necesidad de traducir los recursos financieros en servicios de salud más efectivos, equitativos y sensibles a las expectativas de los usuarios. Se requiere una nueva generación de reformas que incluya medidas sistémicas para consolidar la reorganización del sistema de salud por funciones. El artículo concluye con una discusión sobre las implicaciones de la búsqueda de la cobertura universal de salud en México y su importancia para otros países de ingresos bajos y medios.

The quest for universal health coverage: achieving social protection for all in Mexico.

Mexico is reaching universal health coverage in 2012. A national health insurance programme called Seguro Popular, introduced in 2003, is providing access to a package of comprehensive health services with financial protection for more than 50 million Mexicans previously excluded from insurance. Universal coverage in Mexico is synonymous with social protection of health. This report analyses the road to universal coverage along three dimensions of protection: against health risks, for patients through quality assurance of health care, and against the financial consequences of disease and injury. We present a conceptual discussion of the transition from labour-based social security to social protection of health, which implies access to effective health care as a universal right based on citizenship, the ethical basis of the Mexican reform. We discuss the conditions that prompted the reform, as well as its design and inception, and we describe the 9-year, evidence-driven implementation process, including updates and improvements to the original programme. The core of the report concentrates on the effects and impacts of the reform, based on analysis of all published and publically available scientific literature and new data. Evidence indicates that Seguro Popular is improving access to health services and reducing the prevalence of catastrophic and impoverishing health expenditures, especially for the poor. Recent studies also show improvement in effective coverage. This research then addresses persistent challenges, including the need to translate financial resources into more effective, equitable and responsive health services. A next generation of reforms will be required and these include systemic measures to complete the reorganisation of the health system by functions. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of the Mexican quest to achieve universal health coverage and its relevance for other low-income and middle-income countries.