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Background: Patients with COVID-19 may experience a persistent increase in the blood urea nitrogen over creatinine ratio (PI-BUN/Cr). Its elevation could reflect multiple underlying pathophysiological processes beyond prerenal injury but also warrants nuanced interpretation due to its complex interplay with various factors, underscoring the importance of investigating its effects on mortality and acute kidney injury in this population., Methods: We analized a retrospective and longitudinal cohort of patients admitted to a single center in Mexico City for patients with severe COVID-19. Between March 5, 2020 and August 25, 2021, we included patients with confirmed positive diagnosis for SARS-CoV-2, age > 18 years, disease severity was defined by clinical data of respiratory distress syndrome and a ratio of partial oxygen pressure to inspired oxygen fraction < 300 mmHg on admission. We excluded patients with End Stage Kidney Disease. Data was obtained from electronic medical records. PI-BUN/Cr was defined as an increase in the BUN/Cr ratio > 30 in more than 60% of measurements in the hospital. The outcomes included: risk factors to mortality and AKI in-hospital., Results: The cohort included 3,007 patients with a median age of 54.6 ± 14.5 years. 35% of patients died; 44.6% developed PI-BUN/Cr ratio and 71.4% AKI. Mortality was associated with older age > 60 years [Hazard ratio (HR)] = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.28-1.65; p < 0.001); male (HR 1.25, 95% CI 1.09-1.44; p = 0.002) and AKI (HR 3.29, 95% CI 2.42-4.46; p < 0.001); PI-BUN/CR & Non-AKI (HR = 2.82, 95% CI: 1.61-4.93; p < 0.001); Non PI-BUN/CR & AKI (HR = 5.47, 95% CI: 3.54-8.44; p < 0.001); and PI-BUN/CR & AKI (HR = 4.26, 95% CI: 2.75-6.62, p < 0.001). Only hiperuricemia was a risk factor for AKI (HR = 1.71, 95% CI: 1.30-2.25, p < 0.001)., Conclusions: While PI-BUN/Cr alone may not directly associate with mortality, its capacity to sub-phenotype patients according to their AKI status holds significant promise in offering valuable insights into patient prognosis and outcomes. Understanding the nuanced relationship between PI-BUN/Cr and AKI enhances our comprehension of renal function dynamics. It equips healthcare providers with a refined tool for risk stratification and personalized patient management strategies., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Multidrug resistance (MDR) commonly leads to cancer treatment failure because cancer cells often expel chemotherapeutic drugs using ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, which reduce drug levels within the cells. This study investigated the clinical characteristics and single nucleotide variant (SNV) in ABCB1 , ABCC1 , ABCC2 , ABCC4 , and ABCG2 , and their association with mortality in pediatric patients with central nervous system tumors (CNST). Using TaqMan probes, a real-time polymerase chain reaction genotyped 15 SNPs in 111 samples. Patients were followed up until death or the last follow-up day using the Cox proportional hazards model. An association was found between the rs1045642 ( ABCB1 ) in the recessive model (HR = 2.433, 95% CI 1.098-5.392, p = 0.029), and the ICE scheme in the codominant model (HR = 9.810, 95% CI 2.74-35.06, p ≤ 0.001), dominant model (HR = 6.807, 95% CI 2.87-16.103, p ≤ 0.001), and recessive model (HR = 6.903, 95% CI 2.915-16.544, p = 0.038) significantly increased mortality in this cohort of patients. An association was also observed between the variant rs3114020 ( ABCG2 ) and mortality in the codominant model (HR = 5.35, 95% CI 1.83-15.39, p = 0.002) and the dominant model (HR = 4.421, 95% CI 1.747-11.185, p = 0.002). A significant association between the ICE treatment schedule and increased mortality risk in the codominant model (HR = 6.351, 95% CI 1.831-22.02, p = 0.004, HR = 9.571, 95% CI 2.856-32.07, p ≤ 0.001), dominant model (HR = 6.592, 95% CI 2.669-16.280, p ≤ 0.001), and recessive model (HR = 5.798, 95% CI 2.411-13.940, p ≤ 0.001). The genetic variants rs3114020 in the ABCG2 gene and rs1045642 in the ABCB1 gene and the ICE chemotherapy schedule were associated with an increased mortality risk in this cohort of pediatric patients with CNST.

Background: Published reference equations for impulse oscillometry (IOS) usually encompass a specific age group but not the entire lifespan. This may lead to discordant predicted values when two or more non-coincident equations can be applied to the same person, or when a person moves from one equation to the next non-convergent equation as he or she gets older. Thus, our aim was to provide a single reference equation for each IOS variable that could be applied from infancy to old age., Methods: This was an ambispective cross-sectional study in healthy nonsmokers, most of whom lived in Mexico City, who underwent IOS according to international standards. A multivariate piecewise linear regression, also known as segmented regression, was used to obtain reference equations for each IOS variable., Results: In a population of 830 subjects (54.0% female) aged 2.7 to 90 years (54.8% children ≤12 years), segmented regression estimated two breakpoints for age in almost all IOS variables, except for R5-R20 in which only one breakpoint was detected. With this approach, multivariate regressions including sex, age, height and body mass index as independent variables were constructed, and coefficients for calculating predicted value, lower and upper limits of normal, percentage of predicted and z-score were obtained., Conclusions: Our study provides IOS reference equations that include the major determinants of lung function, i.e. sex, age, height and body mass index, that can be easily implemented for subjects of almost any age., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: L. Gochicoa-Rangel reports lecture honoraria from GSK, AstraZeneca, Chiesi, Thorasys and Vyaire; travel support from Chiesi for the Latin America Thoracic Association meeting in 2022; advisory board participation with GSK; and a leadership role as unpaid chief of the respiratory physiology section in the Mexican Pulmonology and Thorax Surgery Society, outside the submitted work. Conflict of interest: R. Del-Río-Hidalgo reports lecture honoraria from GSK and Chiesi, and travel support Chiesi for ALAT meeting 2022, outside the submitted work. Conflict of interest: All other authors have nothing to disclose., (Copyright ©The authors 2023.)

Background: Phase III clinical trials have documented the efficacy of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in preventing symptomatic COVID-19. Nonetheless, it is imperative to continue analyzing the clinical response to different vaccines in real-life studies. Our objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of five different vaccines in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 during the third COVID-19 outbreak in Mexico dominated by the Delta variant., Methods: A test-negative case-control study was performed in nine tertiary-care hospitals for COVID-19. We estimated odds ratios (OR) adjusted by variables related a priori with the likelihood of SARS-CoV-2 infection and its severity., Results: We studied 761 subjects, 371 cases, and 390 controls with a mean age of 53 years (SD, 17 years). Overall, 51% had a complete vaccination scheme, and an incomplete scheme (one dose from a scheme of two), 14%. After adjustment for age, gender, obesity, and diabetes mellitus, we found that the effectiveness of avoiding a SARS-CoV-2 infection when hospitalized with at least one vaccination dose was 71% (OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.19-0.45), that of an incomplete vaccination scheme, 67% (OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.18-0.62), and that of any complete vaccination scheme, 73% (OR 0.27, 95% CI 0.17-0.43)., Conclusions: The SARS-CoV-2 vaccination program showed effectiveness in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection in hospitalized patients during a Delta variant outbreak.

Objectives: SSc is a devastating autoimmune disease characterized by fibrosis and obliterative vasculopathy affecting the skin and visceral organs. While the processes mediating excessive extracellular matrix deposition and fibroblast proliferation are clear, the exact link between autoimmunity and fibrosis remains elusive. Th17 cells have been proposed as critical drivers of profibrotic inflammation during SSc, but little is known about the immune components supporting their pathogenic role. Our aim was to determine cytokine responses of stimulated monocyte-derived dendritic cells (Mo-DCs) and to determine how they influence T-cell cytokine production in SSc., Material and Methods: Dendritic cells (DCs) activate and shape T cell differentiation by producing polarizing cytokines. Hence, we investigated the cytokine responses of monocyte-derived DCs (Mo-DCs) from patients with limited cutaneous SSc (lcSSc), diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc) and healthy controls (HCs) after stimulation with toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists. Also, using co-culture assays, we analysed T cell subpopulations after contact with autologous TLR-activated Mo-DCs., Results: In general, we observed an increased production of Th17-related cytokines like IL-1β, IL-17F, IL-21 and IL-22 by SSc compared with HC Mo-DCs, with variations between lcSSc vs dcSSc and early- vs late-stage subgroups. Noticeably, we found a significant increment in IL-33 production by Mo-DCs in all SSc cases regardless of their clinical phenotype. Strikingly, T cells displayed Th2, Th17 and dual Th2-Th17 phenotypes after exposure to autologous TLR-stimulated Mo-DCs from SSc patients but not HCs. These changes were pronounced in individuals with early-stage dcSSc and less significant in the late-stage lcSSc subgroup., Conclusions: Our findings suggest that functional alterations of DCs promote immune mechanisms favouring the aberrant T cell polarization and profibrotic inflammation behind clinical SSc heterogeneity., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology.)

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has confirmed the apocalyptic predictions that virologists have been making for several decades. The challenge the world is facing is that of trying to find a possible treatment, and a viable and expedient option for addressing this challenge is the repurposing of drugs. However, in some cases, although these drugs are approved for use in humans, the mechanisms of action involved are unknown. In this sense, to justify its therapeutic application to a new disease, it is ideal, but not necessary, to know the basic mechanisms of action involved in a drug's biological effects. This review compiled the available information regarding the various effects attributed to Ivermectin. The controversy over its use for the treatment of COVID-19 is demonstrated by this report that considers the proposal unfeasible because the therapeutic doses proposed to achieve this effect cannot be achieved. However, due to the urgent need to find a treatment, an exhaustive and impartial review is necessary in order to integrate the knowledge that exists, to date, of the possible mechanisms through which the treatment may be helpful in defining safe doses and schedules of Ivermectin.

Background: Infection by SARS-CoV-2 has been associated with multiple symptoms; however, still, little is known about persistent symptoms and their probable association with the risk of developing pulmonary fibrosis in patients post-COVID-19. Methods: A longitudinal prospective study on health workers infected by SARS-CoV-2 was conducted. In this work, signs and symptoms were recorded of 149 health workers with a positive PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 at the beginning of the diagnosis, during the active infection, and during post-COVID-19 follow-up. The McNemar chi-square test was used to compare the proportions and percentages of symptoms between the baseline and each follow-up period. Results: The signs and symptoms after follow-up were cardiorespiratory, neurological, and inflammatory. Gastrointestinal symptoms were unusual at the disease onset, but unexpectedly, their frequency was higher in the post-infection stage. The multivariate analysis showed that pneumonia (HR 2.4, IC95%: 1.5−3.8, p < 0.001) and positive PCR tests still after four weeks (HR 5.3, IC95%: 2.3-12.3, p < 0.001) were factors associated with the diagnosis of post-COVID-19 pulmonary fibrosis in this study group. Conclusions: Our results showed that pneumonia and virus infection persistence were risk factors for developing pulmonary fibrosis post-COVID-19, after months of initial infection.

Background: Peak inspiratory and expiratory flows (PIF, PEF) are parameters used to evaluate the mechanics of the respiratory system. These parameters can vary based on whether they are measured using mechanical devices vs. spirometry and based on the barometric pressure at which the measurements are obtained. Our objectives were (1) to report the normal values and variability of PEF and PIF of a Latin American population living at a moderate altitude (2240 m above sea level), (2) to analyze the adjustment of reference values obtained at sea level with those obtained in healthy subjects living at a moderate altitude, and (3) to assess the correlation between PEF obtained by spirometry (PEFs) and PEF obtained by mechanical devices (PEFm)., Methods: In this prospective and transversal study, men and women with good respiratory health aged between 2.8 and 68 years old were invited to participate. Randomly, they underwent spirometry (to measure PEFs and PIFs) and mechanical flowmetry (to measure PEFm)., Results: A total of 314 subjects participated, with an average age of 24.3 ± 16.4 years; 59% were Women. The main determinants for the reference equations were age, weight, height and sex at birth. The agreement of the PEFm, PEFs and PIFs values was inconsistent with that reported by other authors, even at the same barometric pressure. The association between PEFm and PEFs was r = 0.91 (p < 0.001), and the correlation coefficient of concordance was 0.84., Conclusions: The PEFm, PEFs, and PIFs measurements in individuals living at moderate altitudes are different from those found by other authors in cities with different barometric pressures and ethnicities., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Point-of-care rapid tests to identify SARS-CoV-2 can have clinical benefits., Methods: A cross-sectional study in adults visiting emergency services or screening sites of referral hospitals for COVID-19 to validate the diagnostic performance of a rapid antigen test for SARS-CoV-2 (Abbott's Panbio) compared with reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing. Tests were performed by health personnel in a routine situation during a COVID-19 outbreak., Results: A total of 1060 participants (mean age 47, 46% with a self-reported comorbidity) were recruited from 8 hospitals in Mexico. Participants provided 1060 valid Panbio rapid test-RT-PCR test pairs with 45% testing positive in the RT-PCR. Overall sensitivity of the Panbio test was 54.2% (95% CI 51%-57%), and 69.1% (95% CI 66%-73%) for patients during the first week of symptoms. Sensitivity depended on viral load (cycle threshold (Ct) of RT-PCR) and days of symptoms. With a Ct ≤25, sensitivity was 82% (95% CI, 76%-87%). Specificity of the Panbio test was >97.8% in all groups., Conclusions: The Panbio rapid antigen test for SARS-CoV-2 had good specificity but low sensitivity. A negative test requires confirmation with RT-PCR, especially for testing after the first week of symptoms., (Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Supplemental oxygen (SO) increases survival in hypoxemic patients. In hypoxia, mammals respond by modulating O 2 -sensitive transducers that stabilize the transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor-1-alpha (HIF-1α), which transactivates the genes that govern angiogenesis and metabolic pathways. Residing at high altitudes exposes millions of people to hypoxemia with potential adverse consequences on their health. We aimed to identify markers of hypoxemia that can be used in the evaluation of patients in addition to pulse oximetry and arterial blood gases, especially those that could respond after 1 month of oxygen use. We performed a prospective pilot study at 2240 m above sea level, with repeated measurements before and after (b/a) 1-month home oxygen therapy in 70 patients with lung diseases, of which 24/20 have COPD, 41/39 obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and 5/2 with interstitial lung diseases (ILD), all of them having chronic hypoxemia, as well as 70 healthy subjects as controls. Proteins evaluated included HIF-1α, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and erythropoietin (EPO). Among the main results, we found that hypoxemic patients had normal levels of HIF-1α but increased EPO compared with healthy controls. VEGF levels were heterogeneous in the sample studied, similar to the control group in COPD, slightly increased in OSA, and decreased in fibrosis. With oxygen treatment, the HIF-1α and EPO decreased in COPD and OSA but not in fibrosis, and VEGF remained constant over time. In conclusion, erythropoietin and HIF-1α identified hypoxemia initially and responded to oxygen. In pulmonary fibrosis, HIF-1α, EPO, and VEGF increased with oxygen therapy, which is likely linked to the disease's pathogenesis and clinical course rather than hypoxemia.

Background: Proper reference values for lung function testing are essential for achieving adequate interpretations. The LMS procedure (lambda, mu, sigma) permits continuous analyses of entire populations avoiding gaps in the transition between childhood and adulthood. It also allows more precise calculations of average values, dispersion, and 5th percentiles, which are usually considered the lower limit of normality. The objective of this study was to compare our results fitted with the LMS method with standard multiple linear regression, and with those from international Global Lung Function Initiative (GLI) equations., Methods: Data from 9835 healthy residents of the metropolitan area of Mexico City aged 8-80 years were compiled from several studies: EMPECE, PLATINO, adult Mexican workers and two unpublished studies. The LMS procedure and multiple linear regression models were fit to obtain reference equations using R software., Results: Residuals from the LMS models had a median closer to zero, and smaller dispersion than those from the linear model, but differences although statistically significant were very small and of questionable practical relevance. For example, for females and ln(FEV 1 ), median residual was -0.001 with p25 of -0.08 and p75 of 0.08 for LMS, compared with 0.004 (-0.08, 0.09) [p<0.05] for the linear model. Average spirometric values for a given height for our population, were higher than those predicted by the GLI study., Conclusion: Continuous reference equations for the Mexican population calculated using the LMS technique showed slightly better fit than linear regression models., (Copyright © 2020 SEPAR. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Phenotypic age better represents age-related biological dysregulation than chronological age. Recently, a multisystem-based ageing measure, which integrates chronological age and nine biomarkers, was proposed., Methods: Phenotypic age was determined in 774 residents of Mexico City over 60 years old and without respiratory problems. We arbitrarily classified as "accelerated" ageing, those showing >4 years compared with their chronological age, and "slowed" ageing, those with <4 years compared with chronological age. Demographic risk factors were analysed with structured questionnaires. Lung structure was evaluated by high-resolution computed tomography and functional competence was analysed by forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV 1 ), diffusion capacity of carbon monoxide ( D LCO ), and the 6-minute walk test (6MWT)., Results: Overall, 13% of this cohort showed accelerated ageing, which was corroborated with four independent biomarkers of ageing, 42% had normal ageing and 46% had slowed ageing. Risk factors associated with accelerated ageing were male sex (OR 4.4, 95% CI 2.4-7.9; p<0.01), diabetes mellitus (OR 9.7, 95% CI 5.5-17.2; p<0.01), and long-term sleep duration (OR 2.9 95% CI 1.34-6.35, p<0.01). Among smokers, there was a slight but significant association with the number of pack-years. Subjects with accelerated ageing showed decreased FVC (p<0.0001), FEV 1 (p<0.0001), D LCO (p<0.02) and walking distance in the 6MWT (p=0.0001). Slowed-ageing subjects presented less frequently with emphysematous lesions compared with those with accelerated ageing., Conclusions: A small but significant proportion of residents of Mexico City age rapidly, which is associated with male sex, diabetes, and long-term sleep duration. They exhibit lower levels of lung function and develop emphysema more frequently., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: I. Buendia-Roldan has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: R. Fernández-Plata has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: A. Valdes-Bartolo has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: M. Mejia has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: L.E. Jaramillo has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: D. Martinez-Briseño has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: A. Santiago-Ruiz has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: H. Tapia-Aguilar has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: B. Gómez-Zamora has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: A. Pardo has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: M. Selman has nothing to disclose., (Copyright ©ERS 2020.)

Introduction: People with Down syndrome (DS) have high respiratory morbidity, evaluating their respiratory health with standardized, objective tests is desirable. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the technical quality of Pulmonary Function Tests (PFTs) to determine which ones are most suitable for this population., Methods: Participants included children, teenagers and adults with DS, 5 years of age or older (n=302). The technical quality of the impulse oscillometry system (IOS), forced spirometry, lung-diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DL CO ), and 6-min walk test (6MWT) were analyzed by age group. Capnography and pulse oximetry were included in the study. Technical quality was determined on the basis of current international PFTs standards., Results: Fifty-one percent of participants were males. A total of 184 participants (71%) who completed the IOS fulfilled the quality criteria, while 210 (70%) completed the 6MWT. Performance on forced spirometry and DL CO was poor. All pulse oximetries and 96% percent heart rates obtained had good quality, but exhaled carbon dioxide (PetCO 2 ) and respiratory rate (RR) showed deficient repeatability., Conclusions: IOS appears to be the most reliable instrument for evaluating lung mechanics in individuals with DS., (Copyright © 2019 SEPAR. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Rationale: Single-breath diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (Dl COsb ) values are used to evaluate gas exchange; however, the quality of maneuvers performed by children has not been evaluated, and reference values for young people living at moderate altitudes are not well established., Objectives: Our objectives were 1) to determine whether Dl COsb maneuvers performed by a pediatric population would meet 2017 European Respiratory Society/American Thoracic Society (ERS/ATS) quality control standards; and 2) to report normal Dl COsb values for Mexican/Latino children and adolescents living at moderate altitudes., Methods: This study involved healthy young people 4-20 years of age from the metropolitan area of Mexico City (2,240 m above sea level) who were recruited in schools from July 2014 to August 2017. Dl COsb testing was performed according to the 2005 ATS/ERS standards, and the quality control of each maneuver was analyzed according to the 2017 ERS/ATS standards. We constructed models for Dl COsb with linear and quadratic terms for weight, height, and age as independent variables using shrinkage statistics, variance inflation factors, the Akaike information criterion, and R 2 to compare the results of different models., Results: Results were obtained for 420 individuals (53% boys) with a mean age of 11.7 ± 4.5 standard deviation (SD) years; 47% of maneuvers from children age 4-6 years were grade A (13% grade B), and 90% of those in children older than 13 years were grade A or B. Forty-six percent of the subjects had a Dl COsb repeatability of <1 ml/min/mm Hg. The mean Dl COsb was higher for boys than for girls (32.4 ± 13.6 [SD] vs. 24.1 ± 7.5 ml/min/mm Hg, respectively). The reference equation for boys was Dl COsb = exp(1.63469 + [0.03251 × age] + [0.00846 × height] + [0.00304 × weight]), R 2 = 0.87; for girls, the best equation was Dl COsb = exp(1.56516 + [0.0193 × age] + [0.00893 × height] + [0.00273 × weight]), R 2 = 0.75. The single-breath transfer coefficient of the lung for carbon monoxide remained constant with age and height, with a lower limit of normal of 6.5 ml/min/mm Hg/L in boys and 5.4 ml/min/mm Hg/L in girls. Measured Dl COsb was higher than predicted by other authors (P < 0.001 by paired t test)., Conclusions: Individuals 4-20 years of age can complete high-quality Dl COsb tests. Children and adolescents living at 2,240 m have higher Dl COsb values than those living at sea level. Reference equations for Dl COsb obtained at sea level are poor predictors of the values measured at moderate altitude.

Purpose: In lung cancer patients, radiation therapy modifies lung architecture, resulting in functional deterioration, which worsens symptoms and reduces quality of life., Methods and Materials: A multicenter, prospective, longitudinal study was conducted in a cohort of patients with locally advanced and oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer treated with concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CCRT). A wide array of pulmonary function tests (forced spirometry, body plethysmography, impulse oscillometry, carbon monoxide diffusing capacity, fraction of exhaled nitric oxide, arterial blood gases, and 6-minute walk test) were used to evaluate lung function at baseline; after radiation therapy; and at 6, 12, 24, and 48 weeks after CCRT. Relative changes in test results (percentages) were estimated at the aforementioned intervals and compared with baseline results., Results: Thirty-seven patients completed the follow-up and were included in the analysis. After CCRT, patients showed a maximum decline in lung volumes as follows: (1) 31% in forced expiratory volume in the first second after 24 weeks (P = .008), (2) 9.6% in forced vital capacity after 48 weeks (P = .04), and (3) 15.1% in total lung capacity after 48 weeks (P = .0015). Similarly, at 12 weeks after CCRT, patients showed a 21.8% decrease in carbon monoxide diffusing capacity (P = .002). Increases were found in total airway resistance (respiratory system resistance at 5 Hz), frequency dependence of resistance (change in respiratory system resistance at 5 Hz-respiratory system resistance at 20 Hz, P = .012), and reactance (P = .0003 for respiratory system reactance at 5 Hz and P = .001 for reactance area), which together indicate small-airway dysfunction., Conclusions: The longitudinal evaluation of lung function through pulmonary function tests detects CCRT-induced damage before the appearance of clinical symptoms associated with CCRT lung toxicity., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the factors enabling/limiting the use of improved cookstoves among rural fuel wood users from one mestizo and two indigenous communities eight years after an intervention in the state of Michoacan, in Mexico., Methods: A qualitative study with an ethnographic perspective was conducted in 2013/2014 based on 62 interviews with women who had participated in an improved firewood cookstove program in 2005. Thematic qualitative content analysis was performed., Results: Very few women from the indigenous communities were using the improved cookstove at the time of the study; the majority had dismantled or had ceased using it; whereas most of those from the mestizo community were using it for all of their cooking activities. In the indigenous communities, characterized by extended families, uptake of new technology was limited by traditional routine practices, rearrangement of rooms in the house, attachment to the traditional stove, a low- or non-risk perception of woodsmoke; gender relations, insufficient training, non-compliance with program recommendations and design-related aspects. Conversely, in the mestizo community, the uptake of the improved cookstove was favored by routine cooking practices in a nuclear family, a previous use of a raised cookstove and social representations on the health-disease-death effects of woodsmoke vs. the health benefits of cooking with improved stoves. The sociocultural dimension of communities and the cookstove design are aspects that either favor or limit the use of improved cookstoves in indigenous and mestizo populations., Conclusions: Effective cookstove programs must take these elements into account from their early planning stages, and blend them into implementation and follow-up. Project communication, training and differentiated follow-up activities ensuring the operation and maintenance of the cookstove, should be designed according to the specific needs and traditions of each community; they should be based on the preferences and needs of the users.

Introduction: Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory gingival process that has been associated with the severity of respiratory diseases. In Mexico a prevalence of 78% was found in population with social security and > 60 years old. The aim of this study is to establish the association between periodontal disease and respiratory diseases according to the inpatient days., Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to December 2011. We included hospitalized patients, ≥ 18 years of age, without sedation or intubated. A dentist classified patients into two groups according to the severity of the periodontal disease: mild-to-moderate and severe. We estimated medians of inpatient days by disease and severity. Negative binomial models were adjusted to estimate incidence rate ratios and predicted inpatient days., Results: 3,059 patients were enrolled. The median of observed and predicted inpatient days was higher in the group of severe periodontal disease (p < 0.05). Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, tuberculosis, and influenza had the highest incidence rates ratios of periodontal disease (p < 0.05)., Conclusions: The severity of periodontal disease is positively -associated with inpatient days of patients with respiratory diseases.

Background: Environmental tobacco smoke affects the current and future health of children., Objective: To determine whether schoolchildren aged 8-17 years old residing at an altitude of 2,240 m and exposed to tobacco smoke at home presented a reduction in the growth of pulmonary function and a greater problem of respiratory symptoms and infections compared with non-exposed children., Materials and Methods: We followed, with questionnaires and spirometry, 1,632 boys and 1,555 girls from Mexico City and its metropolitan area (the Metropolitan Study to Evaluate the Chronic Effects of Pollution in School-age Children [EMPECE]) every six months for six years. The impact of passive smoking was estimated by mixed-effects models and Generalized Linear and Latent Mixed Models (GLLAMM), stratifying by gender and adjusting for age, height, weight, and ozone levels., Results: Passive smoking (reported by one-half of participants) was associated with reduced spirometric lung function (log transformed or as Z-scores) and a higher frequency of self-reported respiratory symptoms and respiratory infections. Levels of forced expiratory volume in 1 second and forced vital capacity in individuals exposed to passive smoking were 6.8 and 14.1 ml, respectively, below those of non-exposed children, and these values decreased with increasing number of smokers at home and higher ozone levels., Conclusions: Passive smoking in children is a significant risk factor for respiratory disease and reduced lung function growth, which are additive with levels of air pollution, asthma, and the presence of respiratory symptoms.

Introduction: Our aim was to estimate the longitudinal effect of Socioeconomic status (SES) on lung function growth of Mexican children and adolescents., Materials and Methods: A cohort of Mexican children in third grade of primary school was followed with spirometry twice a year for 6 years through secondary school. Multilevel mixed-effects lineal models were fitted for the spirometric variables of 2,641 respiratory-healthy Mexican children. Monthly family income (in 2002 U.S. dollars [USD]) and parents' years completed at school were used as proxies of SES., Results: Individuals with higher SES tended to have greater height for age, and smaller sitting height/standing height and crude lung function. For each 1-year increase of parents' schooling, Forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1) and Forced vital capacity (FVC) increased 8.5 (0.4%) and 10.6 mL (0.4%), respectively (p <0.05) when models were adjusted for gender. Impact of education on lung function was reduced drastically or abolished on adjusting by anthropometric variables and ozone., Conclusions: Higher parental schooling and higher monthly family income were associated with higher lung function in healthy Mexican children, with the majority of the effect likely due to the increase in height-for-age.

Background: Severe periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory gingival process associated with systemic diseases., Objective: To determine the prevalence of severe periodontal disease and its association with respiratory diseases among hospitalized patients at the Institute of Respiratory Diseases "Ismael Cosio Villegas" (INER) in 2011., Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was developed. The severe periodontal disease was diagnosed by the Department of Stomatology. The International Classification of Diseases 10th revision was used. A multinomial logistic was fit to estimate relative-risk., Results: Three thousand and fifty-nine patients were included; 772/3,059 (25.2%) had severe periodontal disease. After controlling for age, sex, inpatient days, death, and socioeconomic status, the infectious respiratory diseases that were significantly associated with severe periodontal disease were: HIV/AIDS (RR: 10.6; 95% CI: 9.1-23.3; p < 0.0001); pneumonia (RR: 2.6; 95% CI: 2.2-5.7; p < 0.0001); pulmonary tuberculosis and its sequels (RR: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.6-4.9; p < 0.0001); and lung abscess (RR: 2.6; 95% CI: 1.6-7.8; p = 0.002). Lung cancer and pleural diseases were also significantly associated with severe periodontal disease., Conclusions: High prevalence of severe periodontal disease was observed in the different respiratory diseases. Severe periodontal disease was associated with both infectious and non-infectious respiratory diseases. It is important to study an oral health intervention.

Background: Some technologists worry that patients with very severe lung disease are unable to complete several spirometry maneuvers, which require considerable effort., Methods: We retrospectively selected all spirometry tests with an FEV1 < 35% predicted done by adult subjects sent to our pulmonary function laboratory during a 3-y period. We determined the rates and correlates of poor quality test sessions., Results: Approximately 90% of the tests done by the 558 subjects with very severe lung-function impairment (of > 30,000 subjects tested during the 3-y period) had adequate quality spirometry. Subjects with airway obstruction were less likely to meet FVC repeatability goals. A poor spirometry quality grade was associated with a very low FVC and a low body mass index, but not older age., Conclusions: Severe lung disease should not be used as an excuse for not meeting spirometry quality goals., (Copyright © 2015 by Daedalus Enterprises.)