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(1) Background: health care workers, particularly nurses, have been regularly assaulted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Purpose: to evaluate the prevalence and location of assaults against nursing personnel in Latin America, and to determine predictor factors for aggression against nurses. (2) Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was answered by 374 nurses working in health care during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aggression against nurses was estimated using the Victimization Scale. (3) Results: A total of 288 nurses were included in this study. The victimization scale showed that 52.1% of nurses have suffered aggression by the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic. Males were more likely to be attacked than females (p < 0.05). Additionally, males were attacked more frequently on public transport (x2 = 6.72, p = 0.01). The home neighborhood and markets were other locations with a higher risk of being assaulted (OR: 3.39, CI: 1.53–7.50). (4) Conclusions: Our results indicate that nurses in Latin America who work during the COVID-19 pandemic and social isolation have been frequently assaulted by the general public. Males are more frequently attacked than females and the main places of aggression are public transportation, their home neighborhood and supermarkets. Implications for nursing practice: it is necessary to create and implement protocols and guidelines to support nursing personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was retrospectively registered at the Juarez Autonomous University of Tabasco (103/CIPDACS/2020) on the (08/2020).

The aim of the present study was to evaluate depressive-like, anxiety-like, and perseverative-like behaviors in a binge eating model. Juvenile Wistar rats, using the binge eating model, were compared to caloric restriction, induced stress, and control groups. Rats of the induced stress group presented binge-like behaviors in standard food intake in the second cycle of the experiment when compared to the caloric restriction group and the binge eating model group. Depressive-like behavior was observed in the binge eating model group with longer immobility time (p < 0.001) and less swim time (p < 0.001) in comparison to the control group. Anxiety-like behavior was observed by shorter duration of burying latency in the binge eating model group when compared to the induced stress group (p = 0.04) and a longer duration of burying time when compared to the control group (p = 0.02). We observed perseverative-like behavior by the binge model group, who made more entries to the new arm (p = 0.0004) and spent a longer time in the new arm when compared to the control group (p = 0.0001). Our results show differences in behaviors between the groups of rats studied. These results suggest that calorie restriction–refeeding, along with stress, may lead to depressive-like, anxiety-like, and perseverative-like behavioral changes in male Wistar rats.

The use of aspartame (ASP) and potassium acesulfame (ACK) to reduce weight gain is growing; however, contradictory effects in body mass index control and neurobiological alterations resulting from artificial sweeteners consumption have been reported. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the chronic consumption of ASP and ACK on mood-related behavior and the brain expression of serotonin genes in male Wistar rats. Mood-related behaviors were evaluated using the swim-forced test and defensive burying at two time points: 45 days (juvenile) and 95 days (adult) postweaning. Additionally, the mRNA expression of three serotoninergic genes (Slc6a4, Htr1a, and Htr2c) was measured in the brain areas (prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and hypothalamus) involved in controlling mood-related behaviors. In terms of mood-related behaviors, rats consuming ACK exhibited anxiety-like behavior only during the juvenile stage. In contrast, rats consuming ASP showed a reduction in depressive-like behavior during the juvenile stage but an increase in the adult stage. The expression of Slc6a4 mRNA increased in the hippocampus of rats consuming artificial sweeteners during the juvenile stage. In the adult stage, there was an upregulation in the relative expression of Slc6a4 and Htr1a in the hypothalamus, while Htr2c expression decreased in the hippocampus of rats consuming ASP. Chronic consumption of ASP and ACK appears to have differential effects during neurodevelopmental stages in mood-related behavior, potentially mediated by alterations in serotoninergic gene expression.

Background and Objectives: Poor sleep quality has been frequently observed in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis. In the present study, we analyzed the presence of poor sleep quality in a sample of Mexican individuals with rheumatoid arthritis; then, we compared sociodemographic and clinical characteristics among patients to determine risk factors for poor sleep quality. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we included 102 individuals with rheumatoid arthritis from a hospital in Mexico. We evaluated disease activity (DAS28), quality of sleep using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the presence of depression and anxiety with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. We performed a Chi-square test and a t-test. Then, we performed a logistic regressions model of the associated features in a univariable analysis. Results: Poor sleep quality was observed in 41.75% of the individuals with rheumatoid arthritis. Being married was a proactive factor (OR 0.04, 95% CI 0.1–0.9, p = 0.04), whereas having one’s hips affected or presenting with anxiety and depression was associated with poor sleep quality (OR 4.6, 95% CI 1.2–17.69, p = 0.02). After a multivariate analysis, having anxiety (OR 5.0, 95% CI 1.4–17.7, p < 0.01) and depression (OR 9.2, 95% CI 1.0–8.1, p < 0.01) remained associated with a higher risk of having poor sleep quality. Other clinical characteristics among patients were not significantly different. Conclusions: Our results showed that individuals with rheumatoid arthritis who also presented with depression or anxiety had a higher risk of suffering from poor sleep quality. However, more studies with larger samples are necessary to replicate these results in the Mexican population.

Around the world, more the 700,000 individuals die by suicide every year. It is necessary to understand the mechanisms associated with suicidal behavior. Recently, an increase in gene expression studies has been in development. Through a systematic review, we aimed to find a candidate gene in gene expression studies on postmortem brains of suicide completers. Databases were systematically searched for published studies. We performed an online search using PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases to search studies up until May 2023. The terms included were “gene expression”, “expressed genes”, “microarray”, “qRT–PCR”, “brain samples” and “suicide”. Our systematic review included 59 studies covering the analysis of 1450 brain tissues from individuals who died by suicide. The majority of gene expression profiles were obtained of the prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, ventral prefrontal cortex and orbital frontal cortex area. The most studied mRNAs came of genes in glutamate, γ-amino-butyric acid and polyamine systems. mRNAs of genes in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor, tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB), HPA axis and chemokine family were also studied. On the other hand, psychiatric comorbidities indicate that suicide by violent death can alter the profile of mRNA expression.

ObjectivesWe aimed to examine the association of TPH1 polymorphisms with the risk of suicide behavior (SB).DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.MethodAll relevant studies that evaluated the association between the A218C (rs1800532), A779C (rs1799913) and A6526G (rs4537731) polymorphisms and the susceptibility to SB published up to September 2021 were identified through a comprehensive systematic search in PubMed, Scopus, EBSCO and Science Direct electronic databases. The association between TPH1 gene polymorphisms and SB was evaluated using inherence models by odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Subgroup analyses, heterogeneity analyses, and publication bias were also tested in this meta-analysis.ResultsThe meta-analysis for TPH1 A218C revealed an increased risk of SB in the dominant model (OR = 1.11, 95%CI 1.01–1.22). We also observed a positive association in the allelic (OR = 1.13, 95%CI 1.05–1.21), homozygous (OR = 1.22, 95%CI 1.06–1.40), heterozygous (OR = 1.21, 95%CI 1.08–1.37) and dominant (OR = 1.21, 95%CI 1.09–1.34) inherence models with the suicide attempt. Additionally, in the heterozygous (OR = 0.84, 95%CI 0.73–0.97) and dominant (OR = 0.79, 95%CI 0.68–0.91) inherence models we detected an association with completed suicide. Based on ethnicity, an association of SB in the European population also was observed (OR = 1.29, 95%CI 1.12–1.51). However, for both A779C and A6526G polymorphisms we did not find evidence of an association with SB.ConclusionThis meta-analysis suggests that the A218C polymorphism of TPH1 gene could be a possible risk factor of SB. Future large-scale studies are required to analyze the molecular mechanisms by which affect the susceptibility of developing suicide behavior.

BackgroundAbnormalities in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) have been reported in individuals with suicide behavior. The aim of the study was to evaluate cortisol levels in peripheral plasma of individuals with more than one suicide attempt.MethodsCortisol concentrations in peripheral plasma were measured using the ELISA technique. Suicide attempts were evaluated by the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale, while depression was evaluated by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale.ResultsWe found elevated cortisol levels in the suicide attempt group when compared with healthy controls (F = 7.26, p-value = 0.008), but no statistical differences with the psychiatric diseases group (F = 1.49, p-value = 0.22). Cortisol levels were higher in individuals with depression (F = 8.99, P = 0.004) and in individuals with two or more suicide attempts (F = 13.56, P < 0.001).ConclusionsCortisol levels are increased in individuals who attempt suicide and higher of cortisol concentrations in plasma regard to depression and more attempts of suicide.

DNA methylation in genes of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis has been associated with suicide behavior. Through a systematic review, we aimed to evaluate DNA methylation levels of the genes involved in the HPA pathway and their association with suicide behavior. A search of articles was performed using PubMed and Science Direct, EBSCO. The terms included were “DNA methylation”, “suicide”, “epigenetics”, “HPA axis” and “suicide behavior”. This systematic review was performed by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Six studies comprising 743 cases and 761 controls were included in this systematic review. The studies included individuals with suicide ideation, suicide attempts or completed suicide and childhood trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or depression. One study reported hypermethylation in GR in childhood trauma, while two studies found hypermethylation of NR3C1 in childhood trauma and major depressive disorder (MDD). Only one study reported hypermethylation in BNDF in people with MDD. FKBP5 was found to be hypermethylated in people with MDD. Another study reported hypermethylation in CRHBP. SKA2 was reported to be hypermethylated in one study and another study found hypomethylated both in populations with PTSD. CRHR1 was found to be hypermethylated in people with MDD, and the last study found hypomethylation in CRH. Our result showed that patients with suicidal behavior showed a DNA methylation state of genes of the HPA axis in association with psychiatric comorbidity and with adverse events. Genes of the HPA axis could play a role in suicidal behavior associated with adverse events and pathologies. As a result, DNA methylation levels, proteins, and genes involved in the HPA axis could be considered for the search for biomarkers for the prevention of suicidal behavior in future studies.

A cluster of three genes CELSR2, PSRC1, and SORT1 has been associated with cardiovascular diseases. Thus, the aim of this study was (i) to perform a systematic review and updated meta-analysis of the association of three polymorphisms (rs646776, rs599839, and rs464218) of this cluster with cardiovascular diseases, and (ii) to explore by PheWAS signals of the three SNPs in cardiovascular diseases and to evaluate the effect of rs599839 with tissue expression by in silico tools. Three electronic databases were searched to identify eligible studies. The meta-analysis showed that the rs599839 (allelic OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.13–1.26, dominant OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.06–1.39, recessive OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.15–1.32), rs646776 (allelic OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.17–1.82) polymorphisms showed an increased risk for cardiovascular diseases. PheWas analysis showed associations with coronary artery disease and total cholesterol. Our results suggest a possible involvement of the CELSR2-PSRC1-SORT1 cluster variants in the risk association of cardiovascular diseases, particularly coronary artery disease.

Introduction: Social isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic has been identified as a risk factor of several mental disorders. Therefore, the present work aimed to evaluate the effect of social isolation experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of a Mexican population.Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in individuals of 18 years of age and over. The questioner was structured to identify onset or worsening of psychiatric symptoms due to social isolation by COVID-19. The survey included changes in eating habits, changes in personal hygiene habits, the starting the use or increased the use of psychoactive substances, symptoms of depression or post-traumatic stress.Results: A total of 1,011 individuals were included in the analysis. The majority were women (68.84%). Changes in eating habits were reported in 38.51% of the participants, 67.80% reported having their physical self-perception distorted or having started a low-calorie diet. Regarding symptoms of depression, 46.10% participants indicated to have at least one depressive symptom, and 4.46% reported suicidal ideation during social isolation. Interestingly, 6.09% of individuals reported that they used to have depressive symptoms prior the COVID-19 pandemic and those symptoms decreased due to social isolation. Additionally, 2.27% of individuals presented symptoms of post-traumatic stress due to the possibility of getting COVID-19.Conclusions: In this work we identified how social isolation has impacted the mental health of the Mexican population. We observed that practically all the symptoms evaluated were affected during isolation, such as personal hygiene and eating habits. Depression and suicidal ideation were the ones that increased the most in the general population, while in individuals who had symptoms of depression before isolation, these symptoms decreased during social isolation.

Glycosylated hemoglobin is used to diagnose type 2 diabetes mellitus and assess metabolic control. Depression itself has been associated with high levels of HbA1c in individuals with T2DM. The association between diabetes and depression suggests the usefulness of determining HbA1c as a biological marker of depressive symptoms. The aim of this study was to determine HbA1c levels in individuals with T2DM with vs. without depression. Additionally, we analyzed the influence of pharmacological treatments, time of evolution, and complications of disease. We performed a literature search in different databases published up to January 2020. A total of 34 articles were included. Our results showed that individuals with T2DM with depression showed increased levels of HbA1c in comparison to individuals with T2DM without depression (d = 0.18, 95% CI: 0.12–0.29, p(Z) < 0.001; I2 = 85.00). We also found that HbA1c levels remained elevated in individuals with T2DM with depression who were taking hypoglycemic drugs (d = 0.20 95% CI: 0.11–0.30, p(Z) < 0.001; I2 = 86.80), in individuals with less than 10 years of evolution (d = 0.17 95% CI: 0.09–0.26, p(Z) = 0.001; I2 = 66.03) and in individuals with complications of the disease (d = 0.17, 95% CI: 0.07–0.26, p(Z) < 0.001; I2 = 58.41). Our results show that HbA1c levels in individuals with T2DM with depression are significantly increased compared to controls with T2DM without depression. Additionally, these levels remained elevated in individuals who were taking hypoglycemic drugs, those with less than 10 years of disease evolution, and those with complications related to diabetes. It is necessary to examine the existence of a diabetes–HbA1c–depression connection.

Abstract Background To evaluate the efficacy and safety of prolotherapy with hypertonic dextrose in patients with knee osteoarthritis. A systematic search was performed in electronic databases including PUBMED, SCIELO, DIALNET and Google Scholar. Main body We searched for randomized clinical trials that evaluated therapeutic interventions in patients with knee osteoarthritis. These trials compared the effect of intra-articular and / or extra-articular infiltrations of hypertonic dextrose vs the effect of intra-articular and / or extra-articular infiltrations of other substances or some interventional procedure application, via assessing pain, physical function and secondary effects and / or adverse reactions. Ten randomized clinical trials were included in this systematic review, the total sample size comprised 328 patients treated with hypertonic dextrose (prolotherapy) vs 348 controls treated with other infiltrations such as local anesthetics, hyaluronic acid, ozone, platelet-rich plasma or interventional procedures like radiofrequency. Conclusions In terms of pain reduction and function improvement, prolotherapy with hypertonic dextrose was more effective than infiltrations with local anesthetics, as effective as infiltrations with hyaluronic acid, ozone or radiofrequency and less effective than PRP and erythropoietin, with beneficial effect in the short, medium and long term. In addition, no side effects or serious adverse reactions were reported in patients treated with hypertonic dextrose. Although HDP seems to be a promising interventional treatment for knee OA, more studies with better methodological quality and low risk of bias are needed to confirm the efficacy and safety of this intervention.

Hand grip strength has been considered as a possible marker for metabolic and psychiatric disease. To date, however, no research has focused on the association between alexithymia and hand grip strength. The objective of the present study was to investigate the correct association between hand grip strength and alexithymia. A cross-sectional study was carried out in Comalcalco, Tabasco, México. A total of 246 individuals were included. Hand grip strength was evaluated in the dominant hand using a Takei® portable digital dynamometer. Alexithymia was measured using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). Two linear regression models adjusted by confounders were used to determine the association between alexithymia and hand grip strength. The rate for positive alexithymia was 39.0% (n = 94). Individuals with alexithymia showed a weaker hand grip strength than the comparison group (t = 2.4, 244 df, p = 0.01). Individuals with alexithymia had significantly reduced levels of hand grip strength (β = −0.39 ± 0.14; p = 0.006); after additional adjustment for clinical variables, decreased hand grip strength remained (β = 8.00 ± 1.86; p ≤ 0.001). Our results suggest that a decrease in hand grip strength could be associated with alexithymia. This measurement could be useful as a predictive marker for the identification of alexithymia in Mexican individuals who attend outpatient clinics.

Suicides and suicidal behavior are major causes of mortality and morbidity in public health and are a global problem. Various authors have proposed changes in lipid metabolism (total cholesterol decrease) as a possible biological marker for suicidal behavior. The objective of this study was to review the studies that have demonstrated a relationship between serum cholesterol levels and suicidal behavior and to describe the possible pathophysiological mechanisms that associate changes in cholesterol concentration and suicidal behavior. Relevant literature related to serum cholesterol levels and suicidal behavior was identified through various database searches. The data from the existing literature present the findings that relate low cholesterol levels and possible pathophysiological mechanisms (neuroinflammation, serotonergic neurotransmission), genes related to cholesterol synthesis, pharmacological treatments that alter lipid metabolism and the possible participation in suicidal behavior. Nevertheless, future research is required to describe how serum cholesterol affects cholesterol metabolism in the CNS to establish and understand the role of cholesterol in suicidal behavior.

Background/Aim: Obesity in adolescents is increasing; as such, the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of obesity in Mexican adolescents and examine its possible association with hours of sleep. Methods: A school-based cross-sectional study was carried out. This study included 863 adolescents aged between 11 and 16 years. The prevalence of obesity was estimated using the body mass index (BMI). The duration of sleep (and other information) was assessed by a self-reported questionnaire. The Cochran–Mantel–Hansel test for categorical variables and a general linear model for continuous variables were used to evaluate the interaction effect of BMI and sex with respect to sleeping and assessed activity conditions. Results: It was found that 47.6% of the adolescents were overweight/obese. Men were more frequently overweight/obese than women (52.6% vs. 41.8%, p = 0.002). Moreover, overweight/obese adolescents were younger and spent fewer daily hours watching television (p < 0.05). Men practiced sports more hours per week than women (p = 0.04). However, women spent more daily time on the internet (p = 0.05), and overweight/obese adolescent women slept fewer hours than overweight/obese men and adolescents with normal weight (p = 0.008). Conclusions: The development of strategies for the prevention of overweight/obesity and the improvement of sleep duration should include a gender perspective to improve health habits in Mexican adolescents.

Abstract Introduction The 5‐HTR2A gene has been implicated as candidate gene for eating disorders. The aim of the present study was to analyze the association of rs6311 and rs6313 polymorphisms of 5‐HTR2A gene with eating disorders in Mexican population, and to evaluate if the polymorphisms of 5‐HTR2A gene were associated with comorbidities in eating behavior. Methods We conducted a case–control analysis with 460 subjects. We included 168 patients with eating disorders and 292 controls; two polymorphisms of 5‐HTR2A gene were genotyped. We assessed the association by allele, genotype, and inheritance models. Psychiatric comorbidities were analyzed by genotype in patients with eating disorders. Results We found an association between rs6311 and eating disorders in a Mexican population by allele (OR = 8.09; 95% CI = 5.99–11.03; p = 2.2e‐16) and genotype (OR = 76.14; 95% CI = 35.61–177.18; p = 2.2e‐16). Individuals who carried GG genotype showed increased risk for suicide attempted (OR = 2.14; CI = 1.10–4.26; p = 0.035) as comorbidity associated with eating disorders. No positive associations were observed for rs6313 polymorphism. Conclusion Our results showed an association of rs6311 (A1438G) polymorphism of 5‐HTR2A gene with eating disorders, and these polymorphic variants could increase the risk of psychiatric comorbidities. However, more studies are required to replicate the results and to reach to a conclusive association between eating disorders and rs6311.

Background: Suicidal behavior is a worldwide health problem. Tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) is a rate limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of serotonergic neurotransmission. TPH-1 and TPH-2 genes encode for TPH isoforms and have been implicated as candidate genes for suicidal behavior. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between the genetic variants of the TPH-1 (rs21102 and 1607395) and TPH-2 (rs4290270, rs7305115 and rs1007023) genes and suicidal behavior in a Mexican population. Methods: We conducted a case-control study including 200 cases with suicide attempt and 263 controls. Patients were evaluated by a trained psychiatrist or clinical psychologists. Five polymorphisms were genotyped and assessed for allele, genotype and haplotype association with suicide attempt. Results: The rs7305115 polymorphism of the TPH-2 gene was associated with suicidal behavior in a Mexican population in genotype (χ2 = 6.02, df = 2, p = 0.04) and allele (OR = 1.39, 95%IC = 1.06–1.81, p = 0.01) frequencies. The THP-2 haplotypes GTA (χ2 = 5.68, p = 0.01) and ATT (χ2 = 5.0, p = 0.02) were associated with risk for suicide attempt. Conclusion: Our results provide evidence for an association between the rs7305115 polymorphism of the TPH-2 gene and suicidal behavior in a Mexican population. However, more studies are necessary to replicate these results using larger samples.

Background: Diabetes mellitus and depression are highly prevalent conditions throughout the world and have significant impact on health outcomes. It has been estimated that diabetes mellitus type 2 affects about 246 million people in the world; nevertheless, incidence varies among countries. There is evidence that depression is associated with a poor metabolic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus that present other health problems (such as hypertension and obesity). The aim of this study protocol is to determine if obesity increases the risk for depression in patient with diabetes type 2. Methods: The analysis will be reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA).The studies suitable for inclusion will be assessed by the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) to determine their methodological quality. To identify the studies of interest, we will search on PubMed and EBSCO databases. We will use the following keyword combinations: "Diabetes Mellitus type 2 AND obesity AND depression", "depression AND Diabetes Mellitus type 2", "Diabetes Mellitus type 2 AND body mass index cross sectional study", "depression AND obesity cross-sectional study". Causes for exclusion will be publications that studied patients diagnosed with diabetes mellitus type 1; articles that focused on the treatment and complications of diabetes mellitus type 2; publications that have studied other clinical or psychiatric conditions (for instance, seizure disorder or history of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, psychotic symptoms or dementia). Conclusion: The results of this study will form the basis for a better understanding of the association between obesity and depression in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2, and will allow development of prediction tools and better interventions. It is evident that several modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors play an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetes among population. Currently, evidence for the deleterious effects of diabetes mellitus type 2 are based on cross-sectional or other observational designs. Therefore, this study will have important implications for future research and public health guidance.