Título del artículo:

Serological and molecular markers for Hepatitis B virus in university students

Introduction: Reports from the World Health Organization (WHO) show that the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections varies by geographical region and risk group. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of HBV infections, as well as the vaccination status, among university students from Bucaramanga. Methodology: This was a cross sectional study conducted in 2010 which included 1298 students from five universities. Serological markers for HBV infection were detected using ELISA. Viral genomes were detected with nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: Active infections were established in 0.15% of the study population, and this finding was confirmed by PCR. Resolved infections were identified in 0.60% of the population. Isolated anti-HBc antibodies were found, 30.2% of vaccinated individuals. 67.9% of the study population was susceptible. No occult HBV was detected. Conclusions: The low prevalence of HBV infections reported in this study contrasts with the intermediate epidemiological pattern described in the region. We found poor vaccination coverage and absence of occult hepatitis B among these university students. © 2012 Asociaciones Colombianas de Gastroenterología, Endoscopia digestiva, Coloproctología y Hepatología.

Acerca de la revista donde se publicó este artículo:

Revista Colombiana de Gastroenterologia

Título del artículo:

Environmental Profile of a Community\'s Health (EPOCH): An Ecometric Assessment of Measures of the Community Environment Based on Individual Perception

Background: Public health research has turned towards examining upstream, community-level determinants of cardiovascular disease risk factors. Objective measures of the environment, such as those derived from direct observation, and perception-based measures by residents have both been associated with health behaviours. However, current methods are generally limited to objective measures, often derived from administrative data, and few instruments have been evaluated for use in rural areas or in low-income countries. We evaluate the reliability of a quantitative tool designed to capture perceptions of community tobacco, nutrition, and social environments obtained from interviews with residents in communities in 5 countries. Methodology/ Principal Findings: Thirteen measures of the community environment were developed from responses to questionnaire items from 2,360 individuals residing in 84 urban and rural communities in 5 countries (China, India, Brazil, Colombia, and Canada) in the Environmental Profile of a Community\'s Health (EPOCH) study. Reliability and other properties of the community-level measures were assessed using multilevel models. High reliability (>0.80) was demonstrated for all community-level measures at the mean number of survey respondents per community (n = 28 respondents). Questionnaire items included in each scale were found to represent a common latent factor at the community level in multilevel factor analysis models. Conclusions/ Significance: Reliable measures which represent aspects of communities potentially related to cardiovascular disease (CVD)/risk factors can be obtained using feasible sample sizes. The EPOCH instrument is suitable for use in different settings to explore upstream determinants of CVD/risk factors. © 2012 Corsi et al.

Acerca de la revista donde se publicó este artículo:

PLoS ONE

Título del artículo:

Risk factors for preeclampsia in women from Colombia: A case-control study

Background: Preeclampsia (PE) is a multi-causal disease characterized by the development of hypertension and proteinuria in the second half of pregnancy. Multiple risk factors have been associated with the development of PE. Moreover, it is known that these risk factors vary between populations from developed and developing countries. The aim of this study is to identify which risk factors are associated with the development of preeclampsia (PE) among Colombian women. Methods: A multi-centre case-control study was conducted between September 2006 and July 2009 in six Colombian cities. Cases included women with PE (n = 201); controls were aged-matched pregnant women (n = 201) without cardiovascular or endocrine diseases for a case-control ratio of 1:1. A complete medical chart, physical examination and biochemical analysis were completed before delivery. Multivariable logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of potential risk factors associated with PE. Results: The presence of factors present in the metabolic syndrome cluster such as body mass index >31 Kg/m2 (OR = 2.18; 1.14-4.14 95% CI), high-density lipoprotein <1.24 mmol/L (OR = 2.42; 1.53-3.84 95% CI), triglycerides >3.24 mmol/L (OR = 1.60; 1.04-2.48 95% CI) and glycemia >4.9 mmol/L (OR = 2.66; 1.47-4.81 95%CI) as well as being primigravidae (OR = 1.71; 1.07-2.73 95% CI) were associated with the development of PE, after adjusting for other variables. Conclusion: Factors present in the cluster of metabolic syndrome and primigravidity were associated with a greater risk of PE among Colombian women. Understanding the role of this cluster of risk factors in the development of PE is of crucial importance to prevent PE and remains to be determined. © 2012 Reyes et al.

Acerca de la revista donde se publicó este artículo:

PLoS ONE

Título del artículo:

Angiogenic imbalance and plasma lipid alterations in women with preeclampsia from a developing country

Background: An imbalance between anti-angiogenic factors (e.g. soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 (s-FLT1) and soluble endoglin (s-Eng)) and pro-angiogenic factors (e.g. placental growth factor (PlGF)) as well as increased oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) concentrations have been associated with preeclampsia (PE). Risk factors associated with the development of PE, however, are known to be different between developed and developing countries. The aim of the study was to determine the levels of s-FLT1, s-Eng, PIGF, and ox-LDL in women with PE from a developing country. Methods: A multi-center casecontrol study was conducted. One hundred and forty three women with PE were matched by age and parity with 143 healthy pregnant women without cardiovascular or endocrine diseases. Before delivery, blood samples were taken and serum was stored until analysis. Results: Women with PE had lower concentrations of PIGF (p < 0.0001) and higher concentrations of s-Eng (p = 0.001) than healthy pregnant women. There were no differences between the groups regarding ox-LDL or s-FLT1. Women with early onset PE had higher s-FLT1 concentrations (p = 0.0004) and lower PIGF concentrations (p < 0.0001) than their healthy pregnant controls. Women with late onset PE had higher concentrations of s-Eng (p = 0.005). Women with severe PE had higher concentrations of s-Eng (p = 0.0008) and ox-LDL (p = 0.01), and lower concentrations of PIGF (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Women with PE from a developing country demonstrated an angiogenic imbalance and an increased rate of LDL oxidation. Findings from this study support the theory that PE is a multifactorial disease, and understanding differences in these subpopulations may provide a better target to approach future therapies. © 2012 Informa UK, Ltd.

Acerca de la revista donde se publicó este artículo:

Growth Factors