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We focused on the analysis of biological parameters of two different abundant populations of Dipetalogaster maximus (Uhler) (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae) from northwestern Mexico. The biological parameters were related to hatching of eggs, life cycle, and meal needed for molting by each instar of two populations from environmentally similar areas (El Fandango and San Dionisio) with a similar number of available hosts as blood meal sources. The D. maximus populations from the two locations were evaluated and compared. No significant differences (P>0.05) were recorded for the average hatching time of the two cohorts. The median egg-to-adult development time and the number of blood meals at each nymphal group were significantly shorter (P<0.05) for the El Fandango cohort. The number of obtained females at the end of the cycles, number of eggs laid, and rate of egg hatching were significantly higher (P<0.05) for the El Fandango cohort. These results contribute to the estimation of abundances of the studied populations of D. maximus in areas where many tourists go for camping and have an increased risk of being bitten and infected by this species., (© 2018 The Society for Vector Ecology.)

Background and Objective: Obesity is a factor that contributes to the morbidity of certain diseases and to worldwide mortality. MGAT1 is a glycosyltransferase involved in the synthesis of protein-bound and lipid-bound oligosaccharides and its polymorphisms are possibly involved in the etiology of obesity. We investigated the association of the rs4285184 polymorphism of the MGAT1 gene with obesity in adults in the State of Colima, Mexico., Methods: A case-control study was conducted that included 244 subjects. All of them were grouped according to their percentage of body fat, determined through bioelectrical impedance, and they were genotyped for the rs4285184 polymorphism of the MGAT1 gene through PCR-RFLP. The results were analyzed for their association with the percentage of body fat., Results: The G allele had a frequency of 49.19 and 38.75% for the cases and controls, respectively (P=.020) (OR 1.53; 95% CI 1.068-2.193). The frequency of the A/G+G/G genotype was 75% in the obese patients, which was significantly higher compared with the 57.5% of the control group (P=.004) (OR 2.217; 95% CI 1.287-3.821)., Conclusions: The presence of the rs4285184 polymorphism of the MGAT1 gene increased the risk for developing body fat associated with obesity in the Mexican population., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Background: Due to the complexity of the diabetic foot, its high frequency of amputations and accompanying immunosuppression, treatment is difficult. We tested the usefulness of glycophosphopetical immunoregulator as adjuvant therapy for diabetic foot injury., Methods: We carried out a prospective double-blind randomized controlled study with 19 patients per group with diabetic foot injury III and IV (Wagner injury classification). The study group was treated orally with glycophosphopeptical (1 g/every 8 h for 4 weeks). Control group was treated with placebo. Both groups received conventional treatment: wound debridement, antibiotic therapy and metabolic control. Area and depth of injury was measured at the beginning of the study and after 2 months. Patients who were healed or showed improvement were quantified as well with serum levels of TNF-α, interferon-γ and IL-1β, 15 days after treatment initiation., Results: The study group was comprised of 13 males and six females (mean age 61.6 ± 14.9 years) and the control group was comprised of five females and 14 males (mean age 56.7 ± 14.6 years). At the end of the study, the area and depth of the lesions were significantly lower in the study group (p <0.05). There were 13 amputations in the study group vs. 17 in the control group. In the group treated with glycophosphopeptical, there were 15 patient who were healed or improved and four failures vs. seven patients in the control group who were healed or improved and 12 failures. There were only four failures in the study group vs. seven in the control group with 12 failures (p = 0.03). TNF-α was lower in the study group than in the control group (p <0.02)., Conclusion: Glycophosphopeptical is useful as adjuvant therapy in diabetic foot injuries.

An entomological study of triatomine species was carried out to assess their prevalence in 10 localities of the state of Michoacán, Mexico. Entomological indices were calculated to estimate the risk for vector-borne transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi to the human population in this area. Four triatomine species (Triatoma barberi, Triatoma dimidiata, Meccus pallidipennis and Meccus longipennis) were collected from the study area. This is the first report of M. longipennis and T. dimidiata in Michoacán. M. pallidipennis was significantly (p < 0.05) more abundant than any of the other species collected in the study area. Infection indices were greater than 50% for each of the four collected triatomine species. Significantly more triatomines were collected from intradomiciliary areas than from peridomiciliary or sylvatic areas. Infestation, crowding and density indices were low, whereas colonisation indices were high in five localities. The current vectorial conditions in the study area require continuous entomological and serological surveillance to diminish the risk of T. cruzi transmission to human populations.

Introduction: Chagas disease is an important public health problem in Mexico. At least 30 Triatominae species, vectors of that disease have been recorded, most with domiciliary habits and tendency to invade human dwellings., Objective: The usefulness of using chicken coops was evaluated for monitoring peridomestic triatomine presence, identity and infection with Trypanosoma cruzi. Materials and methods. A year-long, longitudinal field study was designed. Fifty chicken coops were placed in 50 human dwellings on three localities in Teocuitatlán de Corona County, Jalisco State, Mexico. The coops and human dwellings were routinely inspected to determine if the coops alone can monitor for the presence of triatomines., Results: Significantly (p<0.05) more Meccus longipennis specimens (93.0%) than of Triatoma barberi (7.0%) were collected. Almost a third (31.3%) of M. longipennis and none of T. barberi specimens were collected in the coops. Meccus longipennis was found with infections of Trypanosoma cruzi of 25.7%, and T. barberi of 53.2%. Most triatomines were collected in spring and summer months., Conclusions: Chicken coops proved useful tools to detect presence of M. longipennis; however, they were not effective for T. barberi. The importance of M. longipennis as a potential vector was confirmed, and the possible primary vector role of T. barberi was established as well.

Objective: To identify risk factor prevalence for development of foot ulcers in patients with type 2 diabetes (DM2)., Methods: A cross sectional study, of 2067 patients with DM2 from seven primary care units was conducted. A questionnaire exploring age, sex, occupation, time from diabetes mellitus diagnosis (DMD), and data concerning neuropathy, vascular changes, and presence of infections, anthropometry, and gait was applied., Results: We found mean age, 59.96 +/- 11.47 years and time from DMD, 10.2 +/- 8.09 years. From 1360 women, 65.8 % presented the following risk factors: age, 34.7 %; schooling, 49.5 %; time from DMD, 38.8 %; occupation, 20 %; smoking, 24.3 %; alcoholism, 4.6 %; fasting glucose disturbance, 78 %; ulcer history, 10 %. In relation to associated diseases, 67.5 % of patients had one or more antecedent. The presence of risk factors in the sample was 9.716 +/- 2.52, of which 6.259 +/- 1.59 were modifiable., Conclusions: Patients studied presented high risk factor prevalence for development of foot ulcer. The majority of RF is potentially modifiable by adjusting patients' customs and habits.

Objective: To determine the relationship between fasting blood glucose (FBG) values and gustatory sensitivity alterations in type 2 diabetic patients (DM2) without peripheral neuropathy (PNP)., Methods: Assessment of the strength of association between FBG and detection and recognition taste thresholds for the four primary tastes measured by chemical gustometry were performed in 140 DM2 without PNP with evolution < 10 years., Results: FBG values above 7.77 mmol/L (140 mg/dL) induce in a dependent manner, the increase in the detection and recognition taste thresholds only to sweetness; whereas, values above 16.65 mmol/L (300 mg/dL) did not cause further decreasing in taste acuity to sweet flavor. Statistically significant differences where found for detection and recognition, taste thresholds for sucrose between well controlled (HbA1c < or = 7 %) normoglycemic and hyperglycemic diabetics, as well as between alarming uncontrolled (HbA1c > 10 %) normoglycemic and hyperglycemic patients., Conclusions: Hyperglycemia induces a concentration-dependent impairment of sweet taste perception in DM2 patients as the result of an adaptation of the sensory cell to elevated circulating concentrations of glucose.

Objective: To associate serologic response to Helicobacter pylori (Hp) among seropositive university students and their families in western Mexico., Methods: We conducted a comparative transversal study, and randomized 30 nuclear families of 14 Hp-seropositive university students and 14 Hp-seronegative university students. We carried out seropositivity measurements (IgG) to Hp using the ELISA method. An analysis was performed utilizing the chi-squared and Mann-Whitney U tests, with the aid of EPI INFO 2000 and SIGMA STAT 3.2 software., Results: Global seropositivity in the families of infected students was 57 vs. 13% of the relatives of non-infected students (p = 0.000002). In families of Hp-positive students we found the following frequencies: parental (father and mother) 70%; mother 71%, and siblings 42%, while for seronegative individuals incidences were: parental 17% (p = 0.00005), mother 12% (p = 0.001), and siblings 10% (p = 0.0076)., Conclusions: There is a greater prevalence of antibodies against Hp in the relatives of seropositive students.

Objective: To identify the sensitivity and specificity of occasional fast and postprandial glycemias as for a chronic control of the type-2-diabetic patient. MATERIAL AND METHODS., Design: Descriptive, cross-sectional in 850 type-2-diabetic adults patients from the outpatient clinic of the Zone General Hospital and Family Medicine 9 in Ciudad Guzmán, Jalisco, Mexico, without insulin therapy, with creatinine values lower than 132.6 micromol/L (1.5 mg/ dL), and glycemia over 4.4 mmol/L (80 mg/dL)., Procedure: Blood extraction was carried out to determine fasting glycemia, cholesterol, triglycerides and glycosilated haemoglobin (HbA1c). After that, they were given a breakfast of 320 Kcal, and new blood samples were taken for postprandial glycemia. The statistical programs used were Epi-Info 2000, Epi-Dat., Results: Age, 59. +/- 11.2 years old; antiquity in diabetic diagnosis, 4.8 +/- 6.7 years; fasting glycemia average, 9.9 +/- 4.4 mmol/L (178.6 +/- 79.4 mg/ dL); postprandial glycemia, 14 +/- 6.1 mmol/L (251.6 +/- 109.6 mg/dL); HbA1c, 9.3 +/- 3.4 %. An acceptable fasting glycemia presents an adequate chronic control sensitivity of 44.8 %, with a specificity of 82.1 %. On the other hand, a postprandial glycemia presented a sensitivity of 46.5 % and specificity of 77.3 %; both acceptable parameters have a sentivity of 31.4 % and specificity of 83.3 % to identify a good control of HbA1c., Conclusions: Random parameters present very little sensitivity to the diagnosis of a good chronic control of the patient; however, as screening tests, they show an acceptable specificity for the HbA1c poor values.

Background: Psoriasis has been associated with an abnormal plasma lipid metabolism and diabetes mellitus possibly related to alterations in insulin secretion and sensitivity., Objective: We sought to identify lipid profile, insulin secretion, and insulin sensitivity in patients with psoriasis and healthy control patients., Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed in 44 nonobese adults, 22 with psoriasis and 22 without. The psoriasis activity was evaluated by the psoriasis area and severity index. Insulin secretion was estimated using the homeostasis model analysis beta-cell function index. Insulin sensitivity was assessed with the insulin tolerance test., Results: High-density lipoprotein cholesterol was significantly decreased in patients with psoriasis (P =.02). There were no significant differences in insulin secretion or sensitivity in patients with psoriasis compared with control patients., Conclusion: Patients with psoriasis had significantly decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations. There were no differences in insulin secretion or sensitivity compared with control patients.