Serum zinc levels are associated with obesity and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in Mexican adults.

PURPOSE: Little is known about the association between serum zinc (Zn) levels and obesity in the Mexican population. Therefore, we tested the association between serum Zn levels, obesity status, and serum lipid levels in a sample of Mexican adults. METHODS: Anthropometric data and serum levels of total cholesterol, high- and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C and LDL-C, respectively), and triglycerides were analyzed in 96 Mexican adults. Serum Zn was measured with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. An individual data meta-analysis of the association between serum Zn, overweight, and obesity status was performed in 172 adults from two different provinces in Mexico. RESULTS: Serum Zn was negatively associated with body mass index (BMI, ß = -0.034 ± 0.013, p = 2.0 ×10-6) and obesity (odds ratio [OR]= 0.990, 95% confidence interval [CI]= 0.980-0.999, p = 3.4 ×10-5). The association between Zn level and obesity in Mexican adults was confirmed with an individual data meta-analysis (OR= 0.977, 95% CI= 0.966-0.988, p = 3.4 ×10-5). In addition, a significant interaction effect between serum Zn level and sex was observed on LDL-C level (ß = 7.010 ± 3.295, p = 0.037). Serum Zn was negatively associated with LDL-C levels in women (ß = -0.188 ± 0.074, p = 0.016). CONCLUSION: Our results confirm the negative association of serum Zn level with obesity. For the first time, we show a sex-specific association between serum Zn and LDL-C levels in a Mexican population. However, further studies are needed in larger and more varied Mexican cohorts to replicate and confirm our findings.

A PCR-RFLP method for typing human papillomavirus type 16 variants.

Infection with some types of human papillomavirus (HPV) is required for cervical cancer development, being HPV type 16 (HPV 16) the most common type in premalignant and malignant cervical lesions. DNA sequencing has revealed the existence of intratypic variants of HPV 16 whose genotyping is clinically useful for distinguishing between persistent and recurrent infections. From the epidemiological perspective, the frequency of diverse HPV 16 variants in several populations could correlate with the presence of precursor high-risk lesions in different anatomical locations. Currently, the "gold standard" method for identifying HPV 16 variants involves the sequencing of genomic regions to identify characteristic polymorphic sites. Although some other methods have been described, they require specialized or high-cost equipment. In this study, a robust and low cost procedure is described for HPV 16 variant typing, based on the long control region of the virus.

Antiviral therapy: inhibition of Hepatitis C Virus expression by RNA interference directed against the NS5B region of the viral genome.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major public health problem with 170 million chronically infected people throughout the world. Currently, the only treatment available consists of a combination of pegylated interferon (INF-alpha) and ribavirin, but only half of the patients treated show a sufficient antiviral response. Thus there is a great need for the development of new treatments for HCV infections. RNA interference (RNAi) represents a new promising approach to develop effective antiviral drugs and has been extremely effective against HCV gene expression in short-term cell culture. Our aim was to determine the effect of RNAi directed against the NS5B-HCV region on HCV expression in a human hepatoma cell line that expresses HCV-subgenomic replicon (Huh7 HCV replicon cells). METHODS: We transfected Huh7 HCV replicon cells with different concentrations of RNAi (100-200 nM) targeting the NS5B region of the viral genome. 2-6 days post-transfection HCV-RNA was quantified by semiquantitative and real-time RT-PCR, and HCV NS5B protein levels were assayed by western blot. Cell viability was also quantified by MTT assay. RESULTS: Our results indicate that the NS5B-siRNAs used in this study can specifically inhibit HCV-RNA replication and protein expression (more than 90%) compared to control cells. CONCLUSIONS: Synthetic siRNA against NS5BHCV inhibited HCV replication and viral proteins levels and thereby becomes a powerful strategy to combat hepatitis C virus.